The Sean Bateman Trials
by Krazee Kaz
Summary: Can Sally finally get some justice and what is Bateman plotting now? Please note this story contains strong language
1. Prologue

**LONDON'S BURNING FAN FIC**   
**The Sean Bateman Trials - by Kaz.**   
**PROLOGUE**

_Main Characters: Sally, Sean Bateman, Hyper._   
_Disclaimer: Sally, Bateman, Hyper, Adam, Coleman, Pearce, Melissa and Griggs remain copyright to LWT, the Oliver Twist_   
_remains where it is and other characters including Debbie, Jane and Tom, belong to me cos I made em up._   
**_Please Note: Parts of this story contain graphic violence and strong language._**   


Sean Bateman was grinning from ear to ear as he was in the company of two beautiful women in a fairly busy wine bar. He had told them there was a private function on in the Oliver Twist. It was the truth, so that was one thing he had not lied about. In fact, it was probably the only thing. 

They were messing around, maybe being a little flirty. But they were mates, they could do that. They both knew it meant nothing. Or she thought they did. Melissa seemed to think they were being serious. She felt she was in the way, three's a crowd and all that. 

She felt they needed to be in private if they were about to hit it off. It was the signals she was receiving, especially from him. He really gave her the feeling that she was in the way. She wondered if she should leave them to it. A phone call made the decision for her. 

Melissa made her excuses and left the wine bar. Sally and Sean stayed at the table together. 

As soon as Melissa left, Sean seemed to relax more. He offered Sally another drink. She accepted, enjoying his company at that moment. A couple of drinks later, he suggested they should go to a club. She refused and tried claiming she could do with an early night. He tried to persuade her. 

He had decided to go clubbing on his own. Or so she assumed as she left the wine bar and made her way back to the flat she shared with her best mate Rob. 

Rob was not in when she got back. She knew what he was like, and guessed that he was either in a bar somewhere or sleeping off his night on someone's sofa. She was about to get ready for bed, as there was a knock on the door. 

"Sean," she was surprised to see him there. 

He grinned. "You dropped this," he waved a twenty pound note at her. 

"I don't think so," she was certain that she had not lost any money that evening. 

"Well it was by your chair," Sean replied. 

"Oh, well it's not mine." 

"Oh," he paused on her doorstep. "Do you think you could offer me a coffee?" he asked, still grinning. 

"It's late," she tried. 

He looked a little lost stood out on the corridor, as he tried to convince her that he was in desperate need of a caffeine shot. She took the chain off the door and let him in. 

In the kitchen, she started to make him a coffee. She failed to notice him creep up behind her. 

"Sean…" 

He took hold of her wrists, knocking the milk box out of her hand. It smashed on to the floor, spilling its white liquid contents everywhere. He had taken her by surprise as he grabbed her and shoved his tongue down her throat. She was knocked off balance as she tried and failed to resist his advances.   


  


_London's Burning - The Sean Bateman Trials © Karen Moody 07/09/2001_


	2. Chapter One

**LONDON'S BURNING FAN FIC**   
**The Sean Bateman Trials - by Kaz.**   
**CHAPTER ONE**

No amount of shower gel and soap could rid her of the feeling of being dirty. Shower water rained down on her as the bathroom filled with steam. 

Why her? Why now? 

What had she ever done to him? 

He had left her flat with a big grin on his face. He had conquered her body. He had control. He got a buzz from that. He left as if it had all been planned out. As if this had been their special night. It was what he said. He kept saying it. 

The plug hole struggled to cope with the torrent of water that rained down around the shower basin. Steam made the room feel more like she was in the middle of a huge inferno. But there was no BA, no lifeline. 

She was alone. Lost in a heavy mist. Feeling filthy, and invaded. 

It was morning by the time she plucked up the courage to phone Rob. He had not been home all night. She knew he was very likely to be round some guys' house, having a good time. He had no idea of what she had been going through. 

She tried to phone his mobile. It rung out then suddenly got cut off. She put the phone down. There was no one for her to talk to. She felt alone. 

Work was the last thing on her mind. She was due at Blackwall Fire Station to start the shift with Blue Watch at nine o'clock. Ten past, she was still in the flat, alone. 

_What could I have done? What should I have done? Surely there was something._

She should have hit him somewhere. Tried to run. Find a chance to stop him. She did nothing. 

_Why nothing?_

_Why could I not have done something?_

He had descended on her. He only paused to prepare his attack before he launched himself on her. He was a bastard. 

He had no feelings. How could he? He said he loved her. He was full of bull shit. He did not know the meaning of the word love. You did not treat someone you loved in the way he had treated her last night. 

There were no words worthy of describing him. 

_I should have stopped him._

She felt she could have done something and was angry that she had not. She stood in the kitchen of the flat, and in a rage sent a pile of china plates smashing to the floor before breaking down in tears. 

The phone rang as she was about to leave the flat for work. No one knew anything of what had happened. Maybe it was better that way. She could try to forget about it. Pretend it never happened. 

She let the phone ring out, knowing it would be someone from the Watch looking for her. Probably Rob. He had his chance, he should have answered his mobile that morning. She left the flat. 

She arrived at Blackwall to find there was no one around. She made her way towards the locker room, when she met Rob on the stairs. 

"Sally?" he asked, concerned as to why she had not called in. 

She managed a smile to greet him. He told her that he had covered for her. She thanked him for that. She did not tell him the reason she was late. 

_Sorry, Rob, I was smashing up your flat._

She then decided to go and find Geoff Pearce. He would need to know that she had finally arrived for work. He was far from happy. 

"I had a doctor's appointment," she lied. 

"So Rob told me," Pearce replied. "A phone call would have been nice." 

"Sorry." 

He took her apology. He also decided that he was not going to make an issue out of it and let her off. This time. She was grateful for that. 

In the mess, Maggie, the cook, tried asking her about Sean Bateman. She wanted to know if there was anything going on. Sally demanded to know what she meant, but Maggie reckoned Sean was a lovely boy and that they both deserved some happiness. 

It was all right for her. She lived in a world where nothing bad ever happened. She had no idea of the real people she faced everyday. The side to them that only showed its true colours in private. 

She should not believe everything about everyone. Most of what they said was lies. If Joe were here, would it have happened? Had Bateman been watching her all this time? Had he been waiting for his chance? 

He had seemed so genuinely nice. He wanted to help her get over Joe's death. He had offered her a shoulder to cry on. He had never let on that he wanted anything more. Or had she chose to ignore the signs? Had she been leading him on? She had made it as clear as she could when she realised what he wanted, that night in the wine bar. 

_Why did he not listen?_

In the locker room, Sally found Geoff trying to cope with his baby daughter, after his wife Fiona had dumped her at the station and had run off. Geoff was struggling to change the nappy, as Hi-Ho, Recall and Adam found it more amusing to watch than help out. 

They did not have a clue about life either. They were happy. Nothing really bad would ever happen to them. Nothing like this would bring their world crashing down around them. 

She hid from them, not wanting to face them as they left Geoff in the locker room. She then entered the room and offered to lend a hand. Geoff was grateful for her help. He had so much love for his daughter. Her own father had shown very little interest. So much so that she hardly had any memory of him. 

She told Geoff that he should always be there to protect Eve. Growing up in this evil world, she would need him to look out for her. No matter what she turned into or who she became, she would always be glad that her father was around to help her sort out her problems. 

Later that day, Blue Watch were called to a derelict house. When they arrived, a policeman informed them that a young girl was trapped inside. 

Sally noticed a hole in the roof, which must be how the girl got in as the windows and doors were welded shut. She and Adam were sent in through the roof to look for the girl, as the others got to work on cutting the door open. 

Inside the house was dark, a musty smell gripped them as they landed in a room on the upper floor. Adam ventured into the house first, treading carefully on the rotting floorboards. They reached the staircase, or what had been a staircase at some point. Adam reckoned they would need a short extension ladder. Sally went to get one as he continued to search for the girl. 

He heard her calling out and found her in one of the rooms on the ground floor. Her ankle had been caught in the rotting floor. Sally joined them. The girl gave her name as Carol, and on being asked what she was doing here, she told them that she and her boyfriend had wanted to be alone. 

"What did he do to you?" Sally demanded, knowing now that no man was to be trusted alone with a woman. 

But Carol did not answer as she suddenly suffered from a fit. She stopped breathing. Sally was able to resuscitate her as the crew broke through the door, to rescue her. 

Outside, Sally had spotted Carol's boyfriend, Luke, as Carol was taken to an ambulance. She marched over to him and demanded to know why he had left Carol in there. 

The lads had to hold her back to prevent her from lunging at the young boy who was worried about his girlfriend. She shook them off. They had no idea. They were men. They did not understand. 

Back at Blackwall, Pearce had demanded to see her. He did not understand either. He would never find himself in that situation. He always knew what to do. He was the Watch Commander, it was his job. In the same way it was Bateman's job to know how to handle every situation life had to offer. Including her. 

As Pearce launched into a lecture on her unprofessional behaviour on the fire ground, she felt her eyes fill up with tears. She could pretend no longer. She kept seeing Bateman, the stupid grin still spread across his face. The grin he had kept while he pressed down on top of her, making her feel helpless against his power. 

"Sally?" Pearce asked, as she burst into floods of tears in front of him. 

He moved to try and comfort her, but she shook him off. 

"No Geoff…" 

"What's wrong?" he pressed. 

She wondered if she could tell him. What could she say? 

"Sean Bateman raped me!" she blurted out. "Last night." 

He did not know what to say to that, but at least he knew now. Soon they would all know. They would know, but they would not understand. 

Now John Coleman had to get involved, being the Station Commander, it was his job to know what was going on in everyone's lives. He did not know how best to approach the situation. But he did try. He was kind, gentle and trustworthy. He was the last person in the world who would be as evil as Sean Bateman. 

But she had thought that Sean Bateman was the last person to commit such acts. 

"You should go to the police," Coleman was telling her softly. "People like Bateman should not be wandering around in the Brigade!" 

Typical officer, only worried about the Brigade. Well sod them. This was about her. It was her body that had been invaded, not the Brigade's. She stormed out of his office. He did not understand either. 

He followed her to the locker room, where he could offer very little words of comfort. He did manage to get her to say something about her experience. She knew she had to tell the police. She knew she had to pay Bateman back some way. 

Coleman then told her that DO Griggs would have to get involved. Why him? They had not had the best track record. It was his fault Joe had died. It was his fault that she was here now. If Joe had been here, he would have sorted Bateman out. 

She found herself back in Coleman's office. He had just been on the phone to Griggs who would be coming straight to the station. 

"Sally, I have to ask you," Coleman started as he put the phone down. "Is there any…. Evidence?" 

She shook her head. "I've done nothing but try to scrub myself clean since it happened." 

"I had to ask," he tried to apologise for prying. 

She knew there were worse questions to come. And she had to tell DO Griggs. He would not believe her. If she told him the world was round, he would not believe her. He was another bastard.   


  


_London's Burning - The Sean Bateman Trials © Karen Moody 07/09/2001_


	3. Chapter Two

**LONDON'S BURNING FAN FIC**   
**The Sean Bateman Trials - by Kaz.**   
**CHAPTER TWO**

Sally had been late for work, which was unlike her. Hyper worried about her. He wondered what was wrong. He was in the mess with the rest of Blue Watch when Geoff Pearce entered. He looked like he had just seen a ghost. His face ashen. 

He tried to find the words to tell them. 

"Sally told me," he started. "That last night, Sean Bateman… raped her." 

No one knew how to take his news. What they should say. They were stunned. How could that happen? 

Hyper felt it was his fault. He failed to go home last night, having spent the night at the Oliver Twist instead. He should have gone home. 

_Why did I not go home? I could have done something._

_I should have been there. Sally is my best mate, I should have been there._

"I've taken Sally off the run," Pearce explained. 

Sean Bateman, that evil bastard. Rob knew he should never have trusted the slimy get. He should have guessed he was up to something. He always tried cracking on to Sally. She failed to notice. 

The others started asking questions and discussing it. How could they not have known? While they had been enjoying themselves, Sally had been… 

Then they turned their attentions to Melissa, who had been at the wine bar with Sally and Bateman that evening. She was not comfortable with talking about it when they asked how Bateman was with Sally that night. 

She told them to drop the subject and stormed out of the mess. Hyper went after her and caught up with her in the locker room. She confided in him what she had witnessed that night. Sally had been flirting with Sean. 

But that did not give him permission to rape her did it? 

Melissa was worried about saying something that would look bad for Sally. She should just tell the truth. She was worried about how someone, the police in particular, would interpret her evidence. 

Bateman had no right to do what he did. Hyper felt he had to talk to Sally. She was still in the station, she had to talk to Coleman and Griggs. He wanted to hold her, comfort her and tell her that everything would be OK now. 

Hyper was on his way downstairs when he passed Adam and Hi-Ho. Adam tried making a joke to him about gay clubs. Hyper bit his head off. 

"My best friend has just been attacked!" Hyper reminded him. "Just get out of my sight!" 

He left them on the stairs. Adam did not understand. He had never cared about anyone for long enough to know what it was like to feel so helpless when they were in trouble. To watch them suffer and know you could have done something to prevent it. 

He did not have the faintest idea. 

Hyper found Sally in the dorm. Her cheeks red and tear stained. He put a comforting arm around her. 

"I was flirting with him," she confided. 

"That doesn't give him any rights over you," he pointed out. "Come here, you're safe now." 

He held her, trying to make all the bad go away. 

"Why me?" she asked. "Why did he have to pick on me? Why?" 

He could not find an answer. He took her into the mess, which was empty, sat her down and made her a cup of tea. 

"It's my fault," she told him. 

"No, you have done nothing wrong, you must believe that." 

No way was it her fault. It was all that bastard Bateman. His fault. He was the one who had committed the crime around here. 

"I wanted him to stop," she confided in her friend. "I begged him, but he carried on. He was enjoying it." 

He hugged her again. "It's not your fault," he echoed. 

Bateman was the one who had broken the law. He was the one who had terrorised her in her own home. A place where she should feel safe. A place where she should be safe from scum like him. 

He would pay. He would be sorry that he messed with Sally. 

Coleman entered the mess at that point to tell them that DO Griggs had arrived at the station. Hyper kissed her before she followed Coleman to the office to go over her ordeal again.   
  


Coleman wanted her to go home after she had been through events with DO Griggs. It was not a pleasant experience and one she would not like to repeat in a hurry. 

They both reckoned it was best if she went to the police. But what did they know? It was not them who had to tell perfect strangers about an invasion of her body. It was not them who had to discuss personal details about themselves. They did not understand what that was like. 

But she said she would go anyway. 

Coleman then warned her that Sean Bateman was coming to the station, to give his version of events. Or to lie through his teeth and declare his love for her. 

"I'm not afraid of him," she tried to protest. 

But Coleman would not hear of it and sent her home, claiming that he did not want her around when Bateman did show up. She decided it was probably for the best. 

On the way home, she passed the police station. She stood outside wondering if she should go in. She wanted Bateman to pay so much. But what could the police do? Maybe it was worth a shot. 

Rob had strongly suggested that she tell the police everything, they might be able to help. She had done nothing wrong. It was Bateman. All his fault.   
  


Rob sat on the pool table. He felt so useless. There was nothing that he could tell himself now that he had not told himself before. He could not answer his own questions. 

_If I had have gone home last night, would things have been different?_

He was then joined by Adam, who wanted to apologise for what he said before. 

"It doesn't matter," Hyper replied. "I just feel so helpless." 

"Yeah," Adam knew he could never imagine what it was like. "Mates?" he asked hopefully, holding his hand out. 

"Yeah," Hyper took it. 

They shared a joke about him fancying Adam. He could not help that. Another thing he felt so helpless about. Love. He could not help falling in love, the problem was that it was always with the wrong guy! 

But his problems were nothing compared to what Sally was going through at the moment. That took precedence over any stupid crush he may have. 

Bateman was in the station. Griggs had called him to hear his side of the story. In Bateman's case it would be a story, one which he had just made up. 

"What's going on?" Hyper asked the Watch who had suddenly stopped working. 

"Bateman," Adam explained. "He's here." 

"Right," Hyper tried to storm off after Bateman but Adam held him back. 

"It's not worth it," he warned. 

Reluctantly, Hyper agreed. He would not give Bateman the satisfaction. But he could not resist having a word, as Bateman was about to leave the station. 

"I have done nothing wrong," Bateman announced. 

Hyper did not believe him, neither did the others he knew. 

"You mess with Sally," Rob warned. "You mess with me as well!" 

Bateman did not look worried by the threat. 

"I've done nothing wrong," he repeated before leaving the station. 

Rob had to restrain himself from punching the senior officer. It would do no good. It would not change what had happened, and would land him on a charge, even though it might make him feel better. 

Bateman could wait, he would get his comeuppance eventually.   


  


_London's Burning - The Sean Bateman Trials © Karen Moody 07/09/2001_


	4. Chapter Three

**LONDON'S BURNING FAN FIC**   
**The Sean Bateman Trials - by Kaz.**   
**CHAPTER THREE**

Detective Constable Debbie Marshall had been busy catching up on her paperwork. A cup of coffee stood on her desk next to her computer, its heat had escaped long since as she bashed away at the keyboard. 

She was preparing case reports on a burglar that CID had just apprehended. Mostly with information she had received from an informant, who turned out to be the burglars' wife. She had wanted him locked up so she could continue her sordid affair with the milkman! There was nothing more original. 

The revelation had left some red faces in the CID team, particularly hers, which she was not pleased about. She hated looking stupid, especially in front of the guys, who just took the mick. Being the only girl in CID was tough. Discounting Detective Sergeant Ally Denver, who was currently enjoying the sun of the Caribbean with her new husband, previously Detective Inspect Paul Openshaw! 

Ally never had problems fitting in anywhere. The guys would never seriously take the mick out of her, probably because she would always get them back. No one was perfect. Even she cocked up a few times. She never seemed to mind people having a joke at her expense. She usually joined in. Debbie never understood that. Someone laughing at you was not funny. But if you could not take a joke here, then you were in the wrong job. 

The Inspector had been transferred once his affair had been discovered. But it had not split them up. Debbie felt jealous at that, she could never hold a relationship as strong as theirs. Ally was older that her, and provided a role model. Debbie wanted to be like her, she wanted to share Ally's strange sense of humour that seemed to guide her through life. 

Ally's desk sat empty on the other side of the large spacious CID office. She probably would not be back to work. After marriage came parenthood and all that. Something that Debbie knew would never happen to her now. Ally had everything a woman could want. She was not the sort of person to let that slip through her fingers. 

"Debs?" 

She looked up to see PC Steve Bell standing beside her desk. She snapped out of her daydream. 

"What?" she asked. 

"There's a young woman downstairs," Steve started. "She claims she's been raped. And you're the only er… woman detective person here… er… yeah." 

She rolled her eyes. "I had noticed. Who is she?" 

"Sally Fields," Steve explained as they both went downstairs to the interview rooms where Sally was waiting. 

"Hi, I'm Debbie Marshall," Debbie introduced herself. "CID," she added. 

She took a seat at the table and motioned Sally to do the same. Steve left them to it. Sally looked like a frightened rabbit, which was not uncommon. In her short career in CID, Debbie had only been directly involved with one major rape case. But she had experience of helping victims when she had been a uniformed PC not so long ago. 

"What happened?" she asked carefully. 

Sally paused. She did not feel happy having to discuss this with a perfect stranger. Debbie totally understood how she was feeling. It was tough discussing personal things with anyone, especially someone you had never met and knew very little about. 

"It's ok," Debbie tried to assure her, knowing her words were worthless. "If you don't tell me, I can't help." 

She tried to be as gentle as she could. She felt Sally needed a little push to be able to explain her ordeal. 

"I was raped," Sally started slowly. "By a man called Sean Bateman, last night." 

Most women were raped by someone they knew, Debbie had picked that up. Men who fantasised about having some sort of control over them. Making them feel weak. 

"I need to know exactly what he did to you Sally." 

"He came to my flat. I let him in. I shouldn't have, but I did. I didn't know what he was going to do. He wanted a coffee, I was making it and then he…." 

She broke off. 

"We have to check for evidence…" Debbie started. 

"There's no point." 

"What?" 

"I had a shower." 

"Oh." 

"I know I shouldn't have." 

"Don't worry about it," Debbie tried to reassure her. "I understand." 

There would be very little evidence, if any now. But it was so tempting to shower after an invasion like that. She would have tried to scrub herself clean, to try and get rid of any traces of a man she once trusted. A man who had abused that trust. 

Debbie had to take a statement from Sally. She had to listen to her experience, and how powerless she felt against Bateman. 

"We'll do what we can," Debbie promised before Sally left the station. "I'll be in touch soon."   
  


Rob met Sally outside the flat later that evening. She had been to the police station and was now terrified of going back into the flat, the place where it happened. 

"I can't go in," she told him. 

"What did the police say?" he enquired. 

"I don't think they believed me." 

He opened the door for her. "Come on." 

She paused, then decided to go for it. 

"By the way, I think you'll need some new crockery!" she told him. 

He frowned. 

_Crockery? What the hell had been going on?!_   
  


Debbie decided that the next step was to have a word with Bateman. She already knew that he would just deny everything. But as soon as she met him, she knew he was guilty. She just could not prove it. And he knew that. She had dragged Detective Constable Tom Ashton along with her after filling him in with the details. 

Tom failed to see the point in pursuing the case considering there was very little evidence. But Debbie had made a promise to do everything she could. She never broke a promise. 

"We did have sex," was the only thing Bateman would admit to. "But she consented to it. She must have forgotten that part!" 

He tried to hide the evilness in his eyes. But she saw it. She knew it was there. He just laughed at her, in the same way he had done to Sally. But Debbie was not about to become another of his victims. She knew she was strong enough not to let that happen. 

"I'll get you," she promised Bateman before Tom dragged her out of the flat. 

"We have no evidence," he reminded her. "And we have no right to accuse him of anything." 

"He did it." 

"And we shouldn't let personal feelings get in the way." 

"I'm not." 

"Yeah, right," he did not believe her 

"Can we at least talk to Sally's work colleagues? They might be able to shed some light on things?" 

"It's a waste of time." 

"Shall we find out?" 

She hoped she would be able to turn something up. Men like Sean Bateman made her blood run cold. Especially when they were roaming the streets and not under lock and key where they should be. 

They spoke to Melissa Clark, who was able to shed light on the events leading up to the incident. She explained that Sally was flirting with Bateman, she tried to insist that it just looked like a bit of fun. But Tom was far from convinced. 

"So that gives him permission to rape her?" Debbie glared at him as they made their way back to the station. 

"I'm not saying that." 

"Then what are you saying, because I'd really like to know!" she challenged him. 

"I think you're too close to this one," he told her. 

"I'm fine. I do know how to do my job." 

"Sometimes I wonder Debbie." 

"What the fuck do you know about it?" 

"I don't know anything. I'm not making out that I do. You can't pursue personal vendettas. Or try to get someone else justice because it didn't work for you." 

"Why don't you say what you really think, Tom." 

He decided not to get into an argument with her. "The CPS won't touch this case, you know that as well as I do." 

"The CPS are a bunch of arseholes." 

They did not know the real world. They judged people on a pile of case notes. They decided if it was worth putting someone away, or taking them to court at least. They liked evidence. In this case there was none. 

She had tried everything she could think of. She even tried to discuss it with her boss, DCI Jack Greenside. He more or less ordered her to drop it. She was not prepared to do that. 

"You just have this girls' word, for what that's worth in court," Greenside reminded her. 

"I think she's telling the truth." 

"You think everyone is telling the truth. Look what happened last time!" 

"We got our man." 

"And we won't get him this time. You know how it is Debbie, you can't win them all." 

She knew that, but refused to believe it. 

"And the Fire Brigade have expressed an interest in their personnel," Greenside continued. "They want to know what we are going to about it, so I told them we weren't taking it any further." 

There was nothing more she could do. She had tried her best and on this occasion her best had not been good enough. 

She took the time to tell Sally, to try and explain to her. She felt she should go in person, but she had to settle for the phone. Greenside had put her straight onto another case that required her immediate attention. 

She did not like having to phone with bad news. She knew Sally would like it even less. Times like this, life was a bitch. 

_London's Burning - The Sean Bateman Trials © Karen Moody 07/09/2001_


	5. Chapter Four

**LONDON'S BURNING FAN FIC**   
**The Sean Bateman Trials - by Kaz.**   
**CHAPTER FOUR**

He knew the police could not touch him. They had no evidence. And that little snotty nosed DC could do nothing about it. He took a great deal of satisfaction in knowing that he had some sort of control over her as well. 

He could see it in her eyes, she did not only detest him, but she feared him as well. She was fearful of his new found power. He was able to take control. He felt invincible at this moment. 

He took even further pleasure in winding Blue Watch up. He knew they despised him, yet this hatred drove him on. They had only heard one version, which they were ready to believe. They would automatically dismiss the idea that he loved Sally. 

He did love her. He knew she felt the same, she just would not admit it. He tried to get it through to her, in the locker room at Blackwall. But she would not listen. 

She treated all men the same. She had done the same to Joe. She never loved him, she was leading him on. The same way she had led Sean on in the wine bar. 

He grabbed her, attempting to shake some sense into her, but she hit out. At that moment, they were interrupted by Hyper, Pit Bull and John Coleman, who were once again ready to believe her side of the story. 

"I want her charged!" Sean tried to protest. "You saw!" 

But they would not listen. 

"I'm disgusted with you," Pit Bull started. 

As if he were any better. He had been ready to stick up for his boss. He knew what it was like. He knew the sort of lies people told. But now he was ready to believe her. He had been put under her spell like the rest of them. 

Coleman had the nerve to chuck Sean out of the station. He was not happy. Why did they not believe him? 

_I have done no harm._

Why was it that no one could believe that?   
  


Sally had taken the advice of her boss and had told DC Debbie Marshall about Bateman harassing her at work. Everyone should be able to go to work without being threatened. Debbie had decided to investigate the case, even though the DCI had ordered her to drop it. 

The new Detective Inspector, a tall Scottish bloke, Iain McCloud, had also reminded her about other cases that she needed to work on. But he knew nothing about this case. He did not know what went on in the mind of a rapist. They made up a world and believed in their fantasies, which they then tried to act out. She was certain that was what Bateman was doing. 

"Learn that in your psychology did you?" McCloud asked, in his heavy Glaswegian accent. 

"It's a classic profile," she tried to explain. "If we let him get away with it, he'll do it again." 

"And maybe there will be some evidence then. Let it go Debbie. I want you to take a witness statement from the burglary last night," McCloud tried to give her another job. 

She said she would carry out his order, but the truth was that it was far from what she had in mind. Instead she decided to check the records to see if there were any more cases that resembled this one. 

Tom caught her. 

"What are you doing?" 

"I'm ice skating," she replied sarcastically. "What does it look like?" 

"It looks like you're getting into deep shit." 

She glared at him. "This guy is guilty and I'm going to prove it." 

"Yeah, and do yourself out of a job. You can't pursue personal vengeances Debs." 

"Who says I am?" 

"Uh, it's not obvious!" it was his turn to apply the sarcasm. 

"No one is telling you to help me," she reminded him. 

"Good, because I'm having no part in it!" he left her at the computer terminal. 

She went back to searching the archives when he came over again. 

"Do you want me to take that statement for you?" he had a change of heart. 

"Why?" she enquired. 

"Because I don't want to see you out on your arse, stupid as that may sound!"   
She smiled. "Thanks Tom." 

"Hmmm," he was not sure what he was taking on. 

She knew he was not keen to get involved, but she promised to keep him out of it, should the DI find out that she was not obeying orders. Tom was a nice guy, he would not harm anyone. He was one of the few guys she felt she could trust. 

He had tried to convince her that she was just digging her own grave, but then decided he might as well talk to the kettle for all the good it did him. He felt he should help her out in some way, to make sure that she did not flush her career away! 

He went to take the statement from a man who had witnessed a burglar making his escape from a house. When he returned to the station, Debbie had gone, but she had left him a note. 

_Tom, I found something. He's done it before. I'm going to check it out. Call me. Debs._

He dialled the number for her mobile. She answered and started to explain where she was and wanted to know if he would meet her. 

At that moment, DI McCloud decided to wander round the office. He liked to make sure his officers were working hard, more importantly doing what they were supposed to be! 

"Where's Debbie?" he asked. 

Tom looked up from the phone. "Taking that statement," he lied. 

"Yeah?" the DI seemed impressed. "Good, for a moment I thought she was chasing tornadoes!" 

"Tornadoes?" 

"Fresh air Tom," the DI grinned. "Good to see she can actually follow orders! I'll let you get back to your phone call!" 

He let Tom get back to the phone, but he did not move from a nearby desk where he pretended to read a file. Tom knew he was listening in. 

"I'll have to go," he told his caller. 

"Where are you off to?" the DI asked, as Tom ended his call and tried to leave the office. 

"Er.. I got a lead on the er… car theft." 

"Oh." 

"I'm just going to check it out." 

"Anything I should know about?" the DI enquired. 

"Not yet, Guv, I'll see how the info shapes up first." 

"Fair enough," the DI let him go. "If you bump into Debbie on your travels, tell her I want a word!" 

"Yes, Guv!" Tom managed to get away from the office. 

He found her outside a house, she had given him the address over the phone. 

"Thanks for covering for me," she told him. 

"You owe me one." 

"Yeah I know." 

"What's this about anyway?" Tom asked. 

"Well," Debbie started to explain. "Four years ago, there was another case. A woman, Jane Warren, claimed that Sean Bateman raped her. This time there was evidence." 

"So why didn't he get charged?" Tom wondered. 

"She disappeared," Debbie replied. "So the case was dropped." 

"And you've tracked her down?" 

Debbie grinned. "Eventually. I want to talk to her." 

"You're really hung up on this guy aren't you?" 

"He's guilty." 

"I believe you. There are better ways of going about it, you know." 

"Like what? Wait until he does it again?" 

"This is not because of what happened with Harrison is it?" Tom tried to be tactful in his approach to the subject. 

"No," she paused. "No," she repeated with more certainty. "You know when a guy is guilty." 

"Yeah, I guess. How are you going to approach this woman then?" 

"I want to know why she dropped the case. She's had four years to think about it, maybe she wants to reconsider." 

"But…" he tried to point out some practicalities, but Debbie was already knocking on Jane Warren's front door. 

Jane Warren, a young woman with short dark hair, opened the door. She left the chain on to see who her callers were. Debbie flashed her warrant card and introduced herself. Jane looked closely at the card before letting them into her house. She eyed Tom with suspicion immediately. 

"Jane," Debbie started carefully. "We want to talk to you about Sean Bateman." 

The name registered with her immediately, sending a visible chill down her spine. She walked quickly into her front room where she lit a cigarette. The lighter shook in her hands. 

"What do you want that bastard for?" 

"I want to know what he did to you," Debbie started softly, she sat down on one of the arm chairs. 

Jane remained standing in the middle of the room. Her ground floor flat was small and sparsely furnished, containing only two chairs and a small television set. She turned to put her lighter on the mantelpiece above the gas fire mounted on the wall. 

"I don't want to go through that again," she did not look at either of the police officers in her front room. "This is what he did to me." 

"Exactly why you shouldn't let him get away with it," Debbie tried to point out. 

Jane turned the full circle to look at her. "He already has." 

"No," Debbie refused to believe that. "Only if you let him." 

Jane paused to consider the suggestion. "How did you find me?" 

"I'm a copper, it's my job." 

It was not much of an explanation, but Jane did not question it. She did not feel comfortable bringing up the past, but she had always known that she would have to face it sometime. 

"He's done it again hasn't he?" she knew the real reason they were asking questions now. 

Why they had left it for four years before trying to track her down. 

Debbie studied her carefully to see how she might take the news. 

"Yes," she admitted finally. 

Jane remained silent for a while. She knew he should not get away with what he had done. What he had turned her into. She used to be outgoing, confident. He had taken all that away from her and left her with nothing. She felt scared to even go outside, she had been living in terror for the past four years. 

It was not the life she wanted. 

"He had weird fantasies about me," she explained. "He believed them to the point where everyone else thought it was true as well. He made people believe we were an item. I mean we were at one point, it was a bit of fun. He wanted more, I didn't," she stopped to snub out her half-smoked cigarette. 

It was another habit she had picked up in the last four years. Smoking. It made her feel more confident. For about thirty seconds. 

"I don't see what use this is going to do now, can't you ask the other girl?" 

"Well," Debbie wondered if she should tell Jane the real reason for coming round. "There isn't any evidence, but I know he is guilty. With your help I think we can prove that." 

"I'm sorry for what she's been through," Jane started. "But I've had enough. He's out of my life and I'd like to keep it that way." 

"This is what you call out of your life?" Debbie looked around the flat. 

Jane lit up another cigarette. "Yes." 

Debbie watched her. She knew Jane was lying. She knew she had not got Sean Bateman out of her life. He would never be out of her life until she stood up to him. Until she could put him behind bars where he belonged. 

Prison was too good for him. They should bring back the death penalty for men like that. They did not deserve to live. 

"You sound like you know all about it," Jane observed when Debbie explained the reasons she should stand up to Bateman. 

"I know a bit about it." 

"Can you really do something about it after all this time?" Jane wondered. 

"I can try," Debbie promised.   
  


"He even arranged our wedding!" Jane continued to tell Debbie her story. "I tried to tell everyone the truth, but he was so dominating. You know, everyone believed him and thought I was just trying to keep things quiet for the sake of my job." 

She paused again to consider her role. If she had stuck to her story back then, he would not have been able to make up more stuff about someone else. Or she could have ended up at the bottom of the Thames. 

He had threatened her after being interrogated by the police. For a strange reason he had been given bail. He had then marched straight round to her house. 

"Why are you telling lies about me?" he stormed in. 

"They weren't lies." 

He pushed her on to the sofa. "I love you, and this is how you treat me?" he moved to hold her. 

His grip was tight as he squeezed her arms. 

"Sean please…" she tried to get him to let go. 

"I'm not a tap Jane, you can't turn me on and off when you feel like it. You led me on, all this time. I know you love me, why can't you just admit that?" 

He shook her hard, tears rolled down her cheeks. 

"You've humiliated me. We were going to have a wedding. I thought that's what you wanted." 

"No…" 

"See you're lying to me again!" 

He pulled her closer to him. This time she was able to push him away. She was not going to let him do it again. 

She tried to escape but he caught her and dragged her to the floor. 

"Don't leave me… Jane!" 

She kicked him this time, he fell backwards. She managed to escape from the flat. 

"I should kill you for what you've done to me," he yelled after her. 

She was sure he would carry out his threat. She had waited until he had left her flat, watching him from a hiding place in the bushes across the road. Then she had gone back to collect some things before running away and going into hiding at her sisters. 

The police had been round looking for her at the time, but her sister, Danielle, had lied for her. Even though Danni had also tried to get Jane to tell the police what had happened, she could also see how scared her little sister was of this man. 

After that Jane had tried to get some sort of normality back into her life. She had no home and no job. She felt she could never go back to her old life and had attempted to start a new one. It had not been easy. She had wanted to forget the past, but had found that she could never really get over it, no matter how many times she tried to convince herself it did not happen. 

Now she had told Debbie the whole story. Debbie seemed to understand. 

"Is it too late to make another statement?" Jane wondered. 

_London's Burning - The Sean Bateman Trials © Karen Moody 07/09/2001_


	6. Chapter Five

**LONDON'S BURNING FAN FIC**   
**The Sean Bateman Trials - by Kaz.**   
**CHAPTER FIVE**

Why did he have to persecute her like this? Every corner she turned he was there, grinning like a stupid Cheshire cat. She knew she had to tell the police about the developments. But they could not do anything about him the last time, what made it so different now? 

There were witnesses. He could be done for assault. What was that compared to what he had already put her through? 

She spoke to Debbie again. She was someone who seemed to understand. She wanted to make Bateman pay for what he had done as much as Sally did. At least she believed what Sally had told her. Debbie had been apologetic when she had explained to Sally the reasons for dropping the case. She did not have to say it, but it was clear that if it had been up to her then Bateman would be rotting in a cell by now, the key lost forever. 

Sally found herself back at the police station once more. But in a different room this time. This was a normal interview room, its walls blandly painted in a dull blue, and its only furniture being a desk, four chairs and a tape machine. The total opposite to the comforts she had been offered last time. The colourful décor had made her feel a little more at ease then. Now it was just dull and more police station like. 

Debbie had collected a statement form for her to fill in. She had to describe everything Bateman had done to her. The way she felt when he had corned her in the locker room. She had not been afraid of him then. Part of her wanted to really make him pay there and then, but part of her held back. It felt like he still had control over her. And he knew it. 

Hitting him back had been more of a knee jerk reaction. Self-defence was her claim. She had completed an entire course in it. She did not know why she could not have used her skills on him before. He had made her feel weak then. Made her feel less confident about putting those skills into practice. 

Thumping him had given her a confidence boost. Nearly everything he had taken away on that night had been replaced. 

"We've got some new evidence," Debbie started. "Don't worry, he'll be going away for a long time." 

"What new evidence?" Sally wondered. 

"He's done this before," Debbie explained. "I had to listen to what he did to another girl four years ago." 

"The same thing?" 

"Yeah. He scared her so she ran away. I found her again and she's ready to make a statement, to get him out of her life for good. I know how hard it is to do that. Can you just sign here?" she passed the statement paper over to Sally, indicating a box where Sally should put her signature. 

Maybe that was something. At least he would be sent to prison. But that wasn't certain. In this world, she knew, nothing was certain.   
  


Ally Denver had returned to work, with her new name, Ally Openshaw. Not that she was ever going to tell anyone what Ally was short for, and contrary to what most people believed, it was not Alison! Paul knew it, and reckoned she should have used it at the wedding, she refused. She liked to remain mysterious, he found that intriguing. 

Her dark tanned skin added some colour to the CID office, but she did look out of place amongst the other pale officers. 

She greeted people she passed, in her usual bubbly way. It was the start to her new life, she had no worries and no fears. Debbie wondered what that was like. She wanted to know what it was like to enjoy life for a change. 

"We didn't think you'd be back so soon, Sarge!" Tom grinned. 

"I couldn't keep away!" Ally replied. "Besides, if I stayed away any longer the Met might fall apart!" 

"Uh, yeah in your dreams!" 

She smiled. 

Debbie continued to look over her paperwork, trying not to be distracted by Ally's popularity amongst the male officers. She was one of the lads, even if she had been the talk of the station not so long ago. People still respected and looked up to her. 

"Hey Debs," Ally came over to her. 

Debbie looked up. "Hi." 

"You busy?" 

"Not especially, why?" 

"Well I was wondering if you fancied a drink. That is if you can tear yourself away from the paperwork," Ally smiled. 

She believed paperwork came second to a pint of larger. Still she managed to keep on top of things. Debbie wondered how she did that. 

"I'm busy." 

"Sarge, what about your holiday snaps?!" someone else asked. 

"They're X-rated, not for the viewing of one so innocent!" Ally replied. 

It got a laugh, but Debbie tried to get back to her work. 

"You work too hard Debs," Ally told her. 

"Someone has to." 

Ally shrugged and left her to it. 

"What's up with her?" she asked Tom in a low voice. 

"Difficult case," he replied. 

"Difficult? What, can't she spell something?" 

Tom grinned. "I dunno, Sarge." 

Debbie decided she needed a break. There was too much noise going on in the office, distracting her. She left the paperwork on her desk. As soon as she had left the room, Ally picked up the report on the Sean Bateman case. 

"Ah," she scanned through it. "This is not good. Debs!" she followed in the direction the younger officer had just taken. 

Ally knew all about Debbie's past. In fact, she had been the one who pushed her into making a statement. Debbie did not like to have her private life publicised and liked even less the idea of it being trawled through by CID. 

"In here," Ally more or less pushed Debbie into the female toilets. 

It was the only place they got any privacy for "girlie chats" around the CID office. Ally liked her girlie chats, she also liked the chance to gossip about the guys. Debbie did not mind that part, but was less forthcoming about her own personal life. Ally on the other hand was full of stories. 

"What?" Debbie asked, even though she could already guess what Ally wanted to discuss this time. 

"I read your report for the CPS." 

"Which one? I have so many." 

"You know which one. I just hope you're not getting over excited." 

"Over excited?" Debbie questioned. "The guy is a rapist, what the hell is there to get excited about?" 

"There's no need to boil your kettle," Ally warned. "I know what happens when you get personally involved remember!" 

"You don't know anything about it." 

"So tell me." 

Debbie did not say anything. She did not want to look at her sergeant. Ally's personal involvement had been much different. She got involved with her boss, which generally was not a good idea, but Ally seemed to defy the laws of probability. 

"I don't want to talk about it." 

"Well I do. Is this about Harrison? Cos if it is…" 

"I didn't mention him." 

"No, I did it for you. The guy was an arsehole, it wasn't your fault. He was twisted in the same way this Bateman dude is. I have seen enough to imagine what it's like," Ally reminded her. 

"It's easy for you," Debbie pointed out. 

"Why? Because my life seems so perfect?" 

"Well, yeah." 

"Believe me, it isn't. It's just an image I like to portray. I have a closet just like everyone else. I have lived long enough to have a past." 

"But yours isn't broadcast around the whole nick is it?" 

"Well no, I guess not. Everyone here supports you Debs, you must know that." 

"Then why do they keep telling me to drop the case then? I can handle it, I know I can." 

"Can you?" Ally questioned. "Could you really handle sitting there while someone else reminded you of that night?" 

"It was hard…" 

"You shouldn't keep things bottled up. You can't destroy yourself." 

It was a speech she had heard before. But she knew Ally's words meant something. 

"You can't let him win," Ally was adamant. 

"He hasn't." 

"And tracking this guy won't bring you any justice. Harrison paid his price, it's over Debs. You have to drop it." 

"I can't. He got away with it. He didn't go to prison. He should have done." 

"Yeah I know. He took the cowards way out," Ally put a protective arm on Debbie's shoulder. 

She had been over it so many times, Ally had heard the full account. Debbie felt she could not trust people, men especially. But she had friends like Tom and Ally, who stood by her and helped her, even though at times she felt she did not need them. She had been glad that they had been there. 

Tom did not expect anything in return. He would make some lucky girl a great husband. She often asked why he was not married. He tried to get out of the conversation by saying he just needed to find the right person. She had never seen him with a partner, male or female, but he liked to keep his private life private. He did not like gossiping about people nor did he like being gossiped about. 

But then who does? 

Maybe Ally and Tom were right. Maybe she was looking for justice for what Keith Harrison had put her through. Or maybe she wanted to feel that she could still do the job, she could still put the bad guys away. 

Harrison had paid the ultimate price. He had made a mistake when he picked her. He thought he could get away with it. He had planned everything out, he had taken steps to protect himself from leaving evidence. Or so he thought. He had not planned on technology failing him. By the time he had realised it was too late.   
  


It had been a good morning from a policeman's point of view. CID had set up one of their dawn raids in an attempt to round up some wanted suspects. The haul had proved to be even more efficient than they had anticipated, as they arrested a lot more people of interest to them. 

Detective Inspector Paul Openshaw was particularly pleased with the result, considering he would get a fair chunk of the glory Top Brass had to pass around. Arresting "celebrities", as he referred to known and wanted criminals as, gave him a buzz. He had been seeing Ally Denver for a while now, and she knew what turned him on. 

The fact that Debbie Marshall had failed to turn up early that morning had annoyed him. But they were able to manage without her, he had neither the man power or the time to chase after her. Ally offered to locate the missing DC after the prisoners had been booked into Custody. 

"I want a word first," Paul dragged her into the Superintendents office. 

"In here?" she asked, worried that someone might disturb them. 

"Yeah, don't worry," Paul assured her. "It's Sunday morning, the Super will be tucked up in bed then out on the golf course!" 

"But wouldn't he want his share of the glory?" she wondered. "You know what he's like." 

"Yeah," Paul kissed her. "That's why I didn't tell him!" he grinned. "Mmmn strawberry!" he tasted her lips. 

"It's Lypsil," she replied. "You're not supposed to eat it!" 

Ally had no idea what Debbie had been through the previous evening, as she had sex with Paul in the Superintendent's office. She wondered if she could have found Debbie sooner, as it was she was just in time. 

Ally and Tom had been sent to look for Debbie. They went round to her flat, but there was no answer when they tried knocking on the door. 

"Sarge!" Tom called as he tried to peer in through the windows. 

Ally joined him, through the partially closed curtains, they could make out the outline of someone lying on the hall floor. 

They forced an entry to Debbie's flat, where they found her unconscious, blood poured from a gaping cut on her head. 

"Get an ambulance, Tom," Ally instructed him as she tried to check for a pulse on Debbie's lifeless body. "Come on Debs," she muttered, willing the younger girl back to life. 

"I should have gone round sooner," Ally blamed herself as they waited in the hospital for news of their friend. 

"It wasn't your fault, Sarge, it was the bastard who did this to her," Tom reminded her. 

"If she dies…" 

"She won't," Tom was far from confident himself. 

Ally told Paul of the developments, he soon joined them at the hospital. After conducting a thorough examination, a doctor found Debbie had been raped. Earlier she had been working on a case concerning Keith Harrison, who had been arrested on suspicion of raping another young woman. 

"He took a shine to her," Ally remembered. "It's got his name all over it." 

"Bring him in," Paul ordered them. 

Harrison was arrested later that day. He claimed to have an alibi, but Tom did not believe him. He saw the guilt. Further more, Harrison had left some evidence behind, which was news to him. 

"Look, I'm telling you it wasn't me," Harrison tried to struggle in the handcuffs Tom had placed on his wrists. 

"We have evidence." 

"Do what?" 

"You know, evidence!" 

Harrison had then made a remark about Debbie, Tom responded by head butting the prisoner on the nose. 

With blood streaming down his face, Harrison was brought into Custody. 

"What happened?" the Custody Sergeant enquired. 

"He fell, Sarge." 

"You hit me! This is a fit up," Harrison tried to object. 

"Is this true?" the Custody Sergeant turned to Tom. 

"No, Sarge. I've arrested him for attacking Debbie." 

"Ah. Name," he turned back to Harrison. 

"This is a fit up, I'm telling you." 

"And I'm telling you to shut up," the Custody Sergeant retorted. 

Harrison was then interviewed. He ended up making a confession, of his own accord, once the evidence had been produced. 

As soon as he knew his game was up, he took steps to end everything by making a noose from his shirt as he was locked away in a cell to reflect on his actions. 

By the time the Custody Sergeant found him, it was too late.   


  


_London's Burning - The Sean Bateman Trials © Karen Moody 21/10/2001_


	7. Chapter Six

**LONDON'S BURNING FAN FIC**   
**The Sean Bateman Trials - by Kaz.**   
**CHAPTER SIX**

Sean Bateman sat in the dock of the Crown Court where he was forced to listen to what he thought were "lies." Lies about him. Lies about what he had done. He had pleaded not guilty. He was not guilty. He failed to see what he had done wrong. 

_Why does no one believe me?_

They were queuing up to believe that little tart. What about him? What about what he was going through? 

They did not care. They did not care about him. Vultures from the press circled outside the large court building, forbidden to enter. He had been smuggled in under a dark blanket. He could still see the blinding white flashes as cameras clicked all around him. He could still hear the things they were calling him. 

They did not know the truth. They believed what they wanted to believe. 

No member of the jury looked at him. But they did show some sort of emotion when Jane Warren took the stand to spout her lies. They believed her, he knew. She was so convincing. 

Sally had been so like her. They both lied, which was a start. If anything, Jane had been worse. She had agreed to marry him. Why would she have done that if she did not mean it? 

She did not know what she wanted. He was nice, she led him on. He wanted more, she wanted to stop playing. She did not realise that she was in too deep to quit. She got what she wanted, only she failed to realise that. 

_I have done no wrong._

His lawyer would sort it out. After all, that was what he was being paid for. He started to cross-examine Jane, trying to get her to confess to her lies. She failed to fall for his ploys. 

"Is it true you agreed to marry the defendant?" 

Jane paused, not wanting to answer the question. 

"Miss Warren?" Mr Barron-White, the tall lawyer in the short white wig, pressed the question for the defence case. 

"I object," the short lawyer for the prosecution stood up to make his objections known. "We have already established that the defendant lived in a fantasy world. I fail to see where my learnard friend is leading with this line of questioning." 

"Mr Barron-White?" the stern looking judge in his fifties also questioned the defence lawyer. 

"I want to establish the truth Your Honour. A number of witnesses support my client. I simply wish to obtain the truth." 

"Hmmm," the judge considered the question. "Very well. Overruled, Mr Fitzjohn." 

Mr Fitzjohn, the prosection lawyer, shook his head and sat back down on the wooden bench as Barron-White turned back to Jane. 

"Well Miss Warren?" 

"I…" she started. "Yes." 

"And you considered that not to be leading my client on?" 

"I tried to tell him, but he wouldn't take no for an answer. I finished the relationship." 

"So you admit to having a relationship with the defendant?" 

"Yes, but it doesn't change the facts." 

"And what facts might those be, Miss Warren?" 

"He raped me." 

"Ah yes, and why is it that it has taken you four years to come to that conclusion?" 

"I was scared. He said he would kill me, I thought he would. You can't tell me that you have never been scared of someone." 

"I have no further questions," Barron-White sat back down on his side of the wooden bench. 

Mr Fitzjohn then took up the questioning. He wanted Jane to tell the court what she had been through. 

From the gallery, Sally listened as Jane described events so like the ones she had experienced. Rob sat next to her and put a comforting arm on her shoulder. Bateman had seen them. He looked up briefly and grinned. 

As Jane went over her trauma, Sally felt tears in her eyes as she recalled her own version of events. She did not want Bateman to see her cry. She knew he would take nothing but pleasure from it.   
  


Fitzjohn tried to put Jane at ease as she went over events. In her mind, Sally also found herself going over events of that night. 

The night Sean Bateman had invited himself in to her flat. 

The night he ignored her pleas for him to stop touching her. 

The night he gained total control of her body. Made her feel worthless. 

The night she tried to fight back but found herself paralysed with fear as he ripped her clothes off and discarded them around the flat as he pushed her towards the bedroom. His hands on her arms, forcing them against her side so she could not fight back as he pushed her on to the bed. 

He then put his hand over her mouth so she could not scream. She had tried to scream, but no sound came out. She wanted to fight, he slapped her smartly on the cheek and told her to be a good girl. 

He kept saying he was giving her what she wanted. 

"Please, stop," she begged over and over again. 

He carried on touching her. He took his hands off her for a second while he took his trousers off. She missed her chance as he pressed on her. 

"Please… Sean…" she tried to appeal to him, but he clamped his hand over her mouth once more. 

She felt him invade her body. He hurt her more than she could ever imagine possible. He inflicted pain as he rubbed against her. She tried not to look at him, but he was grinning. He was enjoying it. 

He had stripped her naked on the bed. She felt helpless. She could not push him off, he was too strong. The more she tried, the more he pressed down. The more she tried to move away, the harder he pushed inside her. 

His hands groped her body, specialising on her breasts. 

"You are a beautiful woman, Sally," he kept whispering to her. "This is what you want, admit it." 

She responded by shoving his body away from hers. He moved up a couple of inches then plunged back down. 

"You should just play nicely and you won't get hurt. I don't want to hurt you, Sally." 

He continued to rule her body, whispering how much he loved her. Or how much he thought he did. And how much she loved him. Or how much he thought she loved him. 

Suddenly, he came inside her, banging for all he was worth. 

"Oh Sally…" 

The meeting of bodily fluids felt horrible inside her. This was not sex. Sex made her happy, this did not. The monster gasped above her, having enjoyed his reign. 

He finished and got ready to leave. 

"You know I love you Sal," 

With that he was gone.   


  


_London's Burning - The Sean Bateman Trials © Karen Moody 21/10/2001_


	8. Chapter Seven

**LONDON'S BURNING FAN FIC**   
**The Sean Bateman Trials - by Kaz.**   
**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Prison was not for the faint hearted. In fact the faint hearted would not be the type of person to get sent to prison in the first place. It was full of murderers, drug dealers, drug addicts, and other men you would not want to meet on a dark night. 

They all claimed to have done nothing wrong. Most of them, if not all of them, were liars. He, however, was not. He knew the truth, and soon, everyone else would too. 

Sean Bateman sat in his prison cell, seething at the thought of having to languish in there for what seemed like an eternity. 

He used to have respect. He used to have charm. He used to have a lot of things. Now he had nothing, except for very few personal possessions, four damp stained walls and a mattress that would be more at home in an industrial Dumpster. 

No one was ready to believe his side of the story, the story which he had convinced himself was the truth anyway. They dismissed him as soon as look at him. 

No one believed his protests. No one understood him. They looked upon him as scum. Scum who had invaded the HM prison after a spectacular trial. It wasn't every day a Watch Commander, someone the public trusted and turned to in a time of crisis, got thrown in the slammer for a "callous and vicious crime" as the Judge had put it on summing up the case. 

He knew nothing, only of the lies told by others. Lies which convinced a Crown Court jury of his guilt. Lies which had captured the attention of the press and the public. 

He was now a celebrity for all the wrong reasons. His face was known by men he had never met in his life. Men who would spit on him as soon as look at him. He tried to write a letter, explain the things he did wrong. 

He could find nothing to say. 

_I'm innocent._

Was the only line he could truly believe.   


After years of looking over her shoulder, freedom seemed new and strange. An experience she had forgotten about. She could not remember the last time she had been free to live her life. 

To be rid of him for good this time. 

Just because she had tried to ignore the problem, it did not make it go away. Even though they had been miles apart, it still felt like he was in the room with her, holding her back from doing the things she used to. 

It had been awful trying to describe her experiences to a bunch of total strangers. Not one of them knew what it was like. She had tried to bury it all at the bottom of her proverbial wardrobe, only for a busy body copper to dig it up again. 

She had been right though, the copper. It was worth seeing him go to prison for a long time for what he had put her through and what he had done to his second victim. A nice long spell in the confines of a prison would put an end to his secondary career. 

She hoped. 

It was time to make a break. A proper break this time. Leave everything behind instead of running away from it. 

"Jane?" 

She looked round to see a young brunette woman. 

"I'm Sally," the woman introduced herself. 

"Oh," Jane paused. "Should I know you?" 

"We have something in common." 

"Not anymore we don't." 

"I just wanted to thank you for what you did," Sally tried to explain. 

"You have no idea," Jane left the court quickly. 

The new life was about to start now. 

Sally tried to go after her, but an Irish man held her back. 

"Leave it, Sal," he warned, offering his words of wisdom. 

She managed to hail a cab to take her to the new life. Every time she tried somewhere new, she found he had followed her. He might not have physically been there, but he did not need to be. 

The cab dropped her off at London Bridge, she wanted to have one last look at the River before she left. The River was a peaceful place, it washed the crap out of London. 

She knew it was time.   
  


With the court case out of the way, Sally felt it was time to make a fresh start. It started by going back to work. The Watch seemed to have forgotten all about it all ready, but that was just their way of telling her to get on with life. 

She decided that was what she was going to do. 

"Morning, Sally," even Geoff Pearce seemed unusually cheerful. 

Hyper looked a little worried as Geoff headed down the stairs. "Do you think Fiona has been putting something in his cocoa?!" 

Sally smiled. 

"Oi, I wanna word with you!" 

They were interrupted by Pit Bull, who did not seem at all pleased with something. 

He managed to collar an unsuspecting Adam and threw a spray can at him. "What do you call this?" he demanded. 

"Exactly what it says on the tin!" Adam replied. 

"It's a load of shit! I paid a tenner for this and I want my money back!" 

Adam just grinned. "No refunds." 

Pit Bull grabbed him roughly. "I want my ten quid back." 

"Yeah, yeah, ok," Adam handed the money over as Pit Bull released him. 

Pit Bull took the note. "Remind me never to buy anything from the Blue Watch rag and bone man again!" 

"Huh?" Hi-Ho frowned, having just entered the station, and the conversation. 

"I did say it only worked on men…!" Adam muttered as Pit Bull stalked off. "Muppet." 

Sally looked at Hyper. "Nothing changes does it?" 

"Where Adam's concerned…" Hyper paused. "No." 

She smiled, they headed up to the locker room.   
  


Later that morning, Blue Watch were called to assist the police at the River. Someone had reported seeing a body. They arrived as police diving teams were searching the area around London Bridge. 

"What's going on?" Pearce asked the Inspector in charge. 

"Suicide," he replied. "Some nutter. We found something we need lifting out." 

"Right then," Pearce set his crew to work. 

Together they rigged up a mechanism to haul the police discovery from the River. Amidst the mud of the River bed, general litter and bits of trees and plants which were unearthed, a human hand could be seen peeping through the net as it was raised from the water. 

A police doctor was on the scene to inspect it. 

"Hmmmn," he started. "She jumped you say?" 

"So the witnesses say," the Inspector corrected him. 

"Not long ago." 

"No." 

"Hmmmn. Time of death, eleven forty. Not a pretty sight is she?" 

With their services rendered, Blue Watch packed up the equipment as the police dealt with the body under the protection of a white tent. 

"Oh no," Sally had caught sight of the body. 

"Yeah, it is a bit rough," Hyper agreed. 

"No, it's not that," she looked at him. "I'm think that's..." 

He tried to think. "Oh, the…" 

She nodded. 

"Nah, it can't be… Sal, wait," he could not stop her from going to investigate. 

"Are they giving you real cases now Debbie?" a young policeman tried to make a joke to his colleague. 

"Shut your face Steven." 

"Ooooh," the PC just grinned. 

"Bog off and get out of the way," Debbie pushed her way towards the tent. 

"Debbie," Sally recognised her. 

The D.C turned. "Sally?" 

"Have you seen who that is?" 

"What the stiff? Not yet, I'm just… What is it?" Debbie paused. 

She turned to look towards the tent as the police doctor emerged with the Inspector. Curiosity led her to see for herself. 

"No…" 

"Debbie?" the Inspector caught her reaction. "Do you know her?" 

"It's…" she paused trying to take it in. 

She looked back to where Sally was standing behind the blue and white police tape. They both knew the identity of the body in the River.   


  


_London's Burning - The Sean Bateman Trials © Karen Moody 30/10/2001_


	9. Chapter Eight

**LONDON'S BURNING FAN FIC**   
**The Sean Bateman Trials - by Kaz.**   
**CHAPTER EIGHT**

_Disclaimer: "Jimmy Varns" remains copyright to Gemma and is used here with permission. With thanks to the RPG. THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS FREQUENT AND STRONG LANGUAGE!_

After days of feeling sorry for himself, he resolved to come up with a plan. A plan that would help everyone to see the truth that was right in front of them. Or a plan that would make him feel better anyway. 

"Lunch Bateman," one of the guards, Longbride opened the cell door, after spying on him through the small peep hole to check that he was not going to be ambushed as soon as he opened the door. 

Bateman did not fancy socialising with the other scum. These guys were proper criminals. They had beaten their wives, dealt drugs, committed murder, armed robbery, torture… 

He had only expressed his love for another human being. 

_Since when was that a crime?_

He stepped out of the cell. Many of the inmates did not hide their dislike of him. They were ready to show it both verbally and physically. He had only been in the nick five minutes when a gang attacked him in the shower block. They made clear their feelings of sex crimes then. 

Soon he would show them. 

Longbride left him to get his own lunch, and be jostled in the line as usual. He waited for them to push Bateman over. He watched, not doing anything about the hard time he was getting. Not wanting to. 

People like that, men like that, deserve everything they get. And more. Putting him in prison was no justice. He needed to be taught a lesson. The Guvnor wanted Bateman on Special Watch. Well bollocks to that. Longbride would love to get a kick in himself, but decided he would save that until a more private moment arose. 

Bateman sat alone at a table. Having already had his food spat on as it was served to him. 

"You disrespected a woman, dude," a large heavy guy covered with tattoos took a seat next to him. 

"What's it to you?" 

"Hey, I'm just makin' conversation. In here you don't diss women and you don't diss kids, you get my meanin?" 

"What about what she's done to me?" 

"Fuck that man." 

"It's lies." 

"Yeah yeah, and my wife gave birth to kittens. The British Justice system has fucked you man. Was she good?" 

"Sorry?" 

"The bird you fucked. Was she good?" 

Bateman wondered what his answer should be. 

"The one I did was an angel, sent from heaven," the tattoo bloke continued. "She was fucking good." 

"You attacked a woman?" 

"Yo dude, so did you. I read about ya in the paper! Fireman Sam fucks a firewoman chick. I bet she was well up for it." 

"Will you stop being so crude?" 

"Oooh a dude with posh words. Listen, pal, I'm tryanna help ya out here. Believe me, in this shit tip, you need all the help you can get!" 

Bateman let Harry Vickers, the tat man, give out his advice. Or rather his tips on how to survive the wrath of the other inmates. It was ok for him, he was built like a double decker bus, no one messed with him. 

"She lied," Bateman confided in Vickers one time. 

"Yeah? That's fucking women for you." 

"I think she should pay for that." 

"Oh yeah, bring her on baby. Give her a gang bang." 

"No, I meant something else… er… not that. She lied. I hate that." 

"Ah you want revenge." 

"I guess." 

"Can I shag her then?" 

"No! This is my fight." 

"But she is so fucking fuckable…" Vickers gazed at the picture of Sally, which Bateman had stolen from somewhere and managed to smuggle into the prison. "I know how to show her a good time." 

"Could you stop slagging her off and leave that to me?" 

"And you're capable of that?" 

"Yes, thank you." 

"Stop being so fucking polite." 

"Fuck you." 

Vickers grinned. "That's fucking better man."   
  


"Rob, it's really sweet, but I am fine," Sally tried to assure her friend. "Really." 

"Are you?" he questioned. 

"I'm a big girl now," she reminded him. "I can stand on my own two feet." 

He smiled. He knew she was not putting on an act. He switched his attention to Adam who was messing about with a plug, obviously with no clue as to what he was actually doing. 

"It's broken…" Adam muttered, trying to figure out the electrical gadget. 

"Maybe the fuse needs replacing," Hyper offered. 

"Yeah… uh I was just going to say that." 

Hyper shook his head. 

He left Adam in the mess, with the plug problem. Sally had decided that her new start began with a training manual. She reckoned she was going to look in to a more permanent promotion. He had every confidence in her. 

DO Griggs was in the station, talking to Coleman in the office. They had finished their meeting when Hyper overheard them talking on the stairs as Griggs was leaving. 

"HQ have got a bit of a bee in their bonnet about all this bad PR we have been receiving lately," Griggs was telling Coleman. 

"That's hardly Blue Watch's fault," Coleman replied. 

"Well… no, but they played their part." 

"You can't blame Sally for what happened." 

"It takes two to tango…" 

Hyper felt like making himself known as Griggs deserved a smack in the mouth for the comment. But he stayed silent and hidden as the two senior officers left the stairwell.   
  


"Alright Bateman!?" Jimmy Varns said as he stood in the doorway of Sean's cell pushing the door hard so it hit the walls with a loud crash. 

"You look rather pissed off if you don't mind me saying so," Jimmy said taking a cigarette out of his pocket and lighting it with a lighter. 

"What's it to you?" Bateman sneered at Varns. 

He was another inmate who fancied himself as a hard nut. 

"I saw you talking to that Vickers dude." 

"And? Am I not even aloud to talk to people now?" Bateman wondered if Varns was about to set him up for another bashing. 

Varns ventured into the cell and made himself comfy on the top bunk. He took a long drag on his cigarette, which contained more than just tobacco. 

"Look, pal, if you want to get in around here, there are people you talk to and people you don't. You get my meanin?!" 

"And you would be one to talk to?" 

Varns grinned. "Nancy boy is learning. Slow, but you are getting there. Is this her?" he picked up a picture of a woman which had been cut from a magazine. 

"Put that down," Bateman ordered. 

Varns just laughed. "What you gonna do about it? We all know what you are." 

"And you're better?" 

"Me? Nah, well I don't screw around with women if that's what you mean." 

"I didn't touch her!" Bateman protested. 

"Yeah yeah and I live in a box of chocolates. Everyone in here is guilty of something, man," Varns told him, he finished his cigarette and jumped down from the high bed. 

"She's a lying slag." 

"Then why have you got a picture of her?!" Varns threw the picture, it fluttered onto the floor. 

"I got that ages ago." 

"Hey, you don't need to make excuses to me." 

"What do you want?" 

"Just a friendly word, that's all," Varns moved towards the door and checked if there were any officers about. 

He decided the coast was clear, but adopted a low tone of voice. 

"I think you must have a lot of contacts on the out," he started. "I'll tell ya what, if you keep me sweet, I'll get the guys off your back." 

"You would do that?" Bateman wondered if he could trust the bloke. 

"Oh yeah, I look out for my mates. I mean we are mates yeah?" 

"I guess." 

Varns grinned. "Ok then. I'll let you know when I need your services, sweet dreams," he added before leaving the cell.   


  


_London's Burning - The Sean Bateman Trials © Karen Moody 31/10/2001_


	10. Chapter Nine

**LONDON'S BURNING FAN FIC**   
**The Sean Bateman Trials - by Kaz.**   
**CHAPTER NINE**

_Disclaimer: "Jimmy Varns" remains copyright to Gemma and is used here with permission. With thanks to the RPG. THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS FREQUENT AND STRONG LANGUAGE!_   


Six bonfires, a kitten stuck in a drainpipe, a skip fire, two activated fire alarms and a car fire caused by a stray firework had kept Blue Watch busy this bonfire night. Hyper wondered if people would ever actually learn to build their bonfires in a safe place so that they could enjoy the occasion without the main event being cut short. 

He had not told anyone of the conversation he had overheard, but had managed to keep it under his hat for the past week. DO Griggs' comments were beginning to eat away at him. 

"What would you do," he asked Adam. "If you heard someone say something nasty about someone else?" 

"That would depend if it was about me!" Adam grinned. 

"This is serious." 

"Yeah, ok," Adam paused. "It would depend who it was about I suppose." 

"A close friend." 

"Tell them about it." 

"You reckon?" 

Adam shrugged. "I dunno, if you think it would do any good." 

"I don't think it would. Actually, I think it would make things worse!" 

"Then don't bother about it," Adam told him. "There's some nasty people about." 

"Yeah, don't I know it!" 

"Are you coming over to the Twist?" Adam offered, changing the subject. 

Hyper considered the option. "I dunno, maybe later."   
  


"Is that him?" Davis asked. 

Varns shrugged. "I think so." 

"Have you ever done this before?" Davis questioned. 

"Nah man. What do you think I am?!" 

"Er… a violent criminal?!" 

Varns glared at him. "Shut the fuck up man." 

They kept themselves hidden behind a car parked on the forecourt of the pub. Several men from the fire station across the road wandered in at around the same time. Amongst them was the target. 

"How are we gonna do this then?" Davis asked. "Do you wanna grab his legs while I take his arms?!" 

"This ain't fuckin' funny, dude. This is serious charlie we're talkin' about." 

"Charlie? Man, what happened to the monkey?" Davis moaned. 

"It was murdered in the zoo. We wait until he comes out." 

"Do we have to wait here?" Davis moaned again. "It's fuckin' freezin'!" 

Varns grinned. "Fancy a pint then?"   
  


Hyper still could not get Griggs' comments about Sally out of his head. He decided to share his secret with Adam. 

"Do what?" Adam did not believe what he was hearing. 

Hyper shrugged. "That's what I heard. I could be wrong…" he paused. 

"Uh yeah, and there's a flying pig. This is Griggs we're talking about," Adam pointed out. 

"Who's talking about Griggs?" Sally invited herself into their conversation. 

"No one," Hyper replied, deciding not to let her in on the snide comments. 

"Fair enough," it was not a topic she wished to discuss either. "What you drinking?" 

After one bottle of larger, Hyper decided to head home. He felt he was not much company tonight as thoughts and tough decisions were still playing on his mind. 

_Should I tell Sally what Griggs was saying about her? Or should I leave it?_

"Do you want me to come with you?" Sally offered. 

"No," he replied. "You stay for another one. I'll be fine, I just want some time alone. I've got some stuff to think about." 

"Oh, ok then," she let him go. 

He failed to see the two rough looking guys who followed him out of the pub and waited until they were in a nice secluded street before grabbing him and pulling a canvas sack over his head. 

"Hey…" he tried to struggle. 

"Where's the car?" one guy asked. 

"Uh, you didn't say anything about a car!" the second one replied. 

"You fucking muppet! What kind of fuckwit doesn't bring a car to a kidnapping?!" 

"Hey don't blame me for your fuck-ups." 

The first guy seethed as Hyper struggled. 

"Look, man, you ain't makin this any easier are you?!" 

The prisoner received a kick in the stomach from one of the wannabe kidnappers, who really did not know the first thing about kidnapping. They were very much amateurs who had no clue as to what they were doing. 

They continued to argue as the second guy conjured up a car. 

"Is this the best you can do?" the first guy was far from happy with the mode of transport. "For fuck's sake, my fucking granny would go faster!" 

"Could you do any fucking better?" 

"And you call yourself a car thief? Fuck man, I bet you couldn't steal a good car if the fucking keys were left in the ignition!" 

"I've had my moments." 

It seemed like a long drive from under the blanket. He did not dare to make a sound or any movement as this usually met with another blow from the first guy who kept tight hold of him. 

_Who are these jokers? And what do they want?_

An eternity passed before they pulled over. The two kidnappers were still in strong disagreements, especially when the second one who was driving had to take a day trip around the roundabout as he had missed the junction! 

"The boss does not pay you to fuck about," the first guy threatened. 

"Fuck the boss, if he ain't payin' shit." 

"If you don't want your share, that's fine with me." 

"I never said that…" 

"Fuck you did." 

"Guys?" Hyper tried asking as he hid in a corner where he had been cowering after the first guy shoved him over. 

They ignored him as their disagreement about "Charlie" seemed more important to them. 

"I'm gonna call the boss," the first guy announced. 

"Fuck you," the second guy made a grab for the mobile phone, which erupted into a fight. 

Hyper threw off the sack and wondered if he could make an escape while the kidnappers were preoccupied. 

  


_London's Burning - The Sean Bateman Trials © Karen Moody 23/01/2002_


	11. Chapter Ten

**LONDON'S BURNING FAN FIC**   
**The Sean Bateman Trials - by Kaz.**   
**CHAPTER TEN**

_THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS FREQUENT AND STRONG LANGUAGE!_

He was amazed when he realised he had learned more about being a criminal mastermind while he had been locked up in this dump that he had ever known in his entire life. Jimmy Varns had been given parole. Sometimes the logic of the British Justice system mystified him. The animals walked free while innocent beings were locked up, caged only for their beliefs. 

Tattoo man, Vickers, was grinning from ear to ear, which, considering his build, made it a very wide grin. The skin on his upper lip was stretched around the silver loop that had been stuck into it. 

"I told you, I'd get it sorted, Bateman," Vickers was sneering as he invited himself to join Bateman at the table for lunch. 

"Really? What did you do?" Bateman enquired carefully. 

"Told you, I know a bloke. He's gonna sort it." 

Bateman sighed. 

"What's up now?" Vickers demanded. 

"Jimmy said exactly the same thing." 

"Jimmy Varns?!" Vickers let out a booming laugh, so loud some of the other inmates turned to look at them. "Jimmy Varns couldn't organise a shag in a brothel!" Vickers realised people were looking in their direction. "What do you want? A fuckin' picture?!" 

Quickly, they returned to their meals. 

"He offered," Bateman protested. "What was I supposed to say?" 

"Tell him to fuck off," Vickers replied. "I would!" 

"Yeah, well, that's all right for you!" 

If Vickers told someone to do one, they would be off as fast as their legs would carry them. No questions asked. 

"You're still too fuckin' polite!" Vickers noticed. "I think we'll have to have another lesson." 

"In what?" Bateman was wary of what Vickers' "lessons" involved. 

"Don't shit yaself, I ain't gonna kick the crap outta ya," Vickers assured him. "I got bored of that!" 

He supposed he should be grateful then. However, Vickers' motivation for being "nice" still confused him. 

_What does he want?_

"There's one person you look after in this world," Vickers continued. 

"Who's that then?" 

"You, ya dick 'ed! Now, this fucker you want sorting…" 

"Yeah?" 

"Why?" 

"Cos…" Bateman paused. "Cos he's in the way." 

"That all?" Vickers was trying to provoke a reaction. "What if he tried to fuck your chick?!" 

"I don't think there's any danger of that, he's a queer!" 

"Fuckin' puff," Vickers corrected him. 

"Sorry?" 

"You're supposed to say 'e's a fuckin' puff!" 

"Oh, he's a fucking puff." 

Vickers grinned. "Not bad, for a beginner. It's his fault you're in 'ere, innit?" 

"Yeah, he would have encouraged that little tart to spread her lies." 

"Little tart?" Vickers scoffed at his choice of words. "Is that the best you can do." 

"She's a fucking slag." 

"Better. And him?" 

"He's a fucking puff." 

"And what do you wanna do to him? Make him pay, Bateman…" Vickers ventured. "Without him, you'd be free, free to love her…" 

He knew he was pressing the right buttons. Sean Bateman grinned, a wide grin, as the evil Vickers had generated glinted in his eyes. 

"Fucking kill the bastard!" 

Vickers grinned as he had accomplished his mission. "Lesson over, dude."   
  


Sally had been left puzzled when she arrived home to find Hyper was not in. She did not worry though, as she knew what he was like. She guessed he would have gone out again, in an attempt to find Mr Right. She felt hurt that he had not invited her, but then decided that she was hardly likely to find her Mr Right in the sort of places Rob frequented. 

He failed to come home at all that evening. However, she did start to worry when he did not turn up for work the next morning. He first thoughts were that he had crashed out somewhere and had lost track of time. She hoped that were true, but something else told her there could be a serious problem. 

_I should have gone with him when he left the pub last night…_

In the locker room, Hi-Ho was attempting to show Adam some kind of vanishing trick with a Biro and a blue handkerchief. It did not seem to be working as well as Hi-Ho had hoped as Adam looked extremely bored, Sally, however, paid them very little attention. She checked her watch, again. 

_Where is Rob?_

"Is that it?" Adam was asking, totally unimpressed by the trick. 

"Yeah!" Hi-Ho failed to see anything wrong with it. 

Adam laughed at him. "Don't give up the day job, Hi-Ho!" 

"Hey, my Grand-dad taught me that trick!" Hi-Ho argued. 

"Yeah, looks like it comes from the Ark!" Adam muttered, he noticed Sally looking a little distant. "You ok Sal?" 

"Yeah, I was just wondering where Hyper could have got to," she replied. 

"Oh yeah?" Adam grinned. "I take it he didn't come home last night!" 

"No, I'm worried about him," she confided. 

"You know what he's like. He'll turn up for role call with about two seconds to spare!" 

"Yeah," she hoped he was right. "It's just all this stuff going on with Bateman…" 

"I thought that was over." 

"It is for him, I'm not so sure." 

"He's not worth getting upset over," Adam told her. "Come on, we'd better get downstairs. And think up something you have to do urgently in case Hi-Ho tries to do his Houdini impression again!" 

She smiled. They headed down to the appliance bay where Pearce was over dramatising the consultation of his wristwatch. 

"Where is Crew Commander Sharpe?" he demanded. 

Blue Watch shifted uneasily, as no-one could provide an answer, until Sally spoke up. 

"He er… said he had a dentist appointment, Geoff." 

"Really?" Pearce wasn't fooled. "Well, when he does decide to grace us with his presence, perhaps you could tell him I'd like a word?" 

"Yea Geoff," Sally went to join the others as they fell in for role call. 

Pearce was far from happy as Rob's absence meant they would be short of a Crew Commander, and he would have to get on to Staff about ordering a stand by. Adam was forced to act up, which was nothing unusual for him. Quietly, Adam enjoyed the challenge and was glad of the opportunity Hyper's absence presented him with. 

After an unusually quick role call, Blue Watch, or Ghost Watch as George referred to them as, began to carry out their various equipment checks. The main topic of conversation was, of course, Hyper's mysterious disappearance. The rest of the Watch did not seem too worried and were joking about what he could have got up to. Sally, however, was far from convinced, and still had a bad feeling about the whole thing. 

Rob had not been himself lately. Something was definitely bothering him. She just did not know what as he had not spoken to her about it. She hoped it was nothing serious, but then decided that if it had been, then he would have told her. 

_Wouldn't he?_

"Sal?" Adam interrupted her thoughts. "Are you cleaning that BA set or trying to scrub it away?!" 

She stopped cleaning the air cylinder and realised it had become clean some time ago. 

"Something's wrong, Adam." 

"Like what?" he ventured. 

"I'm not sure," she sighed. "It's probably nothing." 

"I'm sure he's fine." 

"Then why hasn't he called in?" 

Adam paused, unable to find an answer to her question. 

Suddenly, there was a cheer from the appliance bay. They both stepped out of the BA room to find Hyper had arrived for work. 

"Better late than never!" George grinned. 

"You dirty stop out!" Recall exclaimed. 

Hyper took their jibes lightly and continued to let them think what they liked about where he had been all night. 

"Rob?" Sally greeted him. 

"Hi, Sal." 

"Where've you been?" 

"I'll tell you later," he promised. "I've had the weirdest experience! I think I'd better go and explain to Geoff first!" 

"I told him you had a dentist appointment." 

"Thanks, Sal." 

She let him go, but wondered what on Earth he was talking about. 

_Weird experience?_

"See, told you he'd be fine," Adam grinned and gave her a quick comforting hug. 

She smiled, relieved. "Yeah." 

However, she still felt there was something wrong.   
  


Vickers had been continuing in his quest to wind Bateman up and insisted he get revenge on those responsible for his demise. It was something Vickers seemed to get off on, controlling people this way. He promised to sort Varns out, for a price of course – which he had not mentioned, yet. 

Vickers had a meeting with his outside contact. Bateman found himself pacing the hard floor of his new home, exactly what Vickers wanted he realised. When Vickers returned, the news was not good. 

It was definitely not the news he wanted to hear. 

He wanted that Irish leprechaun dead. Dead! He should have known that if he wanted a good job doing then he should have done it himself. 

_Where would he be now, the little Irish bender? In the Twist probably, drinking his Guinness and laughing with the rest of those tossers…_

"Varns sold the job," Vickers explained what he had found out. "Tried to get powder for it." 

"Bastard." 

Vickers grinned. "You _are_ learning!" 

"Back to your cell, Vickers," Officer Longbride sneered as he walked passed, undeterred by Vickers' menacing frame. 

Vickers decided to do as he was told. Longbride was not an officer to argue with. You tried anything with him and the next thing you knew, you would be down the block, usually for quite a while. 

Bateman was left alone in his cell, as they had not found a replacement for Varns yet. As Longbride slammed the metal door, Bateman kicked over the small wooden locker in frustration, the contents smashed to the floor. 

Longbride opened the peep hole. 

"Clear it up Bateman!" 

He closed the peep hole and left. 

Bateman did not bother to clear up the mess. It could wait. He paced the cell. 

_This is her fault. Her lies. Her fault._

He lit up a cigarette. 

_Bollocks to quitting._

He needed a better plot. He needed someone who actually knew what they were doing. He needed to get out of this hellhole. He needed revenge… 

He needed a lot of things. 

He threw the empty cigarette box to join the mess on the floor from the overturned locker. 

He leaned against the cold brick wall as another plan came to mind…   
  


"You were what?!" Sally could not believe what Hyper was telling her. 

"Yeah, I still can't believe it. Actually, I think it may have been a dream… Maybe I just got drunk somewhere…" he could not take in the events of the previous night. 

_Did that stuff really happen to me? Did two plonkers really try to abduct me?_

"Oh my God! Who would want to… I mean, why?" she wondered. 

He shrugged. "Search me. Although, they did mention someone called Charlie." 

"Who?" 

"Dunno. They were just a couple o' eejits, Sal." 

"Still," she told him. "I think you should tell the police." 

"You don't think this has anything to do with Bateman?" Hyper did not believe it. "He's in prison!" 

"Exactly," she knew enough about prisons to know what really went on behind the bars. 

You went in with one trade and came out knowing a few more. 

"But they did talk about "The Boss"…" Hyper considered. 

"We're going to the police," Sally insisted. "Tonight." 

She felt Bateman had already screwed up her life, she was not about to let him destroy her friends as well. 

"What did Geoff say?" she enquired. 

"I didn't tell him," Hyper replied. "I still can't believe it myself!" 

"You're probably in shock," she thought. "Maybe you should go home." 

He grinned. "You're not a Crew Commander yet!" he reminded her. 

She managed a smile at his joke, but was still concerned for his well being. 

"Sal, I'm fine, really. They didn't hurt me, they were too preoccupied with hitting each other! But I will tell the police," he assured her. "If it makes you feel any better." 

"Talk to Debbie Marshall," Sally advised. "She'll believe you." 

"I'll do that." 

They were interrupted by the first shout of the day.   


  


_London's Burning - The Sean Bateman Trials © Karen Moody 29/03/2002_


	12. Chapter Eleven

**LONDON'S BURNING FAN FIC**   
**The Sean Bateman Trials - by Kaz.**   
**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

Even from the confines of a prison cell, he could still get to them. Surely that was not right. Something should be done about it. Locking them up and giving them "counselling" was not going to help, they would just get even more warped ideas… 

Now an attempted abduction, what was he going to do next? Murder? Maybe they would sit up and take notice then, her bosses. Her bosses who thought she was just on some personal crusade, in fact that was probably what everyone in the CID office was thinking right now. 

_Debbie can't hack it._

It made her angry that a man should be allowed to treat a woman in such ways and still get away with it. He may have been locked up, but was he really paying the price? He may have lost his freedom, but that did not mean he had lost his power. 

He had proved that. 

Although, maybe it was just a coincidence. She doubted that very much. With an evil mind like his, anything was possible. 

She was ready to interview Bateman following the allegations, but DCI Greenside had other ideas. 

"I think you are too involved with this case Debbie." 

_What does he know?_

"I'm just doing my job, sir." 

"Exactly, what about those burglaries you were investigating hmmn? There are other people who need our protection," he reminded her. 

"Are you taking me off the case?" 

"Yes, Debbie, I am." 

"Why?" 

"I told you. I think it would be best for you to concentrate on other things right now." 

"Bollocks!" 

"You will do as you're told DC Marshall!" Greenside was not happy at being spoken to in that tone of voice by a junior officer. 

She was off the case. There was nothing she could do. 

"But what about Bateman? If he's behind this…" 

"Then I will find out," Greenside replied. "Maybe you should just take some leave?" he suggested. 

"Bugger that." 

"Suit yourself. I want you in the station where I can keep my eye on you! It isn't a crime to feel angry and upset, but once we start taking this shit home with us, we stop giving one hundred and ten per cent to the job," Greenside told her. 

She had nothing else to say to him. In the office, she found Tom Ashton. He glanced up at her from his desk where he was at least pretending to look busy. 

"What did you say to Backside?!" Debbie demanded. 

"Me? Nothing," Tom insisted. 

"Yeah, don't give me that. Someone's been saying I'm not up to the job." 

"Maybe you're not." 

"And what would you know about it?" 

"I'm just trying to look out for you Debbie." 

"Yeah, well if I want your help, I'll ask for it!" 

"Would you though? Ask for my help?" he looked straight at her, knowing the answer to his own question. 

Debbie failed to admit when she needed help. Now everything was crashing down around her. Only she still failed to see it. 

"You can't blame yourself for what other people want to do," he continued. "That girl committing suicide was not your fault." 

"I stirred things up for her." 

"Look," Tom stood up and made her sit in his chair. "What else could you have done?" 

"I sorted one girl's life out and messed up another. Oh yeah, and I nearly got her best friend killed in the bargain. I'm shit." 

"You're not, and I'm not going to sit here all day trying to convince you of that! Take some leave, go on holiday. God knows you deserve one." 

"That's what the DCI said." 

"Well then," he placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her a comforting hug. "You can't screw yourself up over this Debs." 

Just then, Ally breezed into the office, failing to notice their heart-to-heart as she was gabbing away on her mobile phone, probably to Paul, her husband. She dumped a piled of papers on her desk and started giggling like a schoolgirl. Then she turned round and noticed Debbie and Tom watching her. 

"Um… I'll have to go," she told Paul. "Yeah, you too," she took the phone away from her ear and ended the call. "And what are you two up to?" she grinned. 

"Nothing!" Tom replied defensively. 

"Tom," DCI Greenside entered the office behind Ally. "You're with me, we're going to interview a prisoner." 

Debbie knew what that was about, Tom however had little idea until the DCI filled him in as they left the office. 

"You ok?" Ally asked Debbie. 

"I wish everyone would stop asking that!" 

"Sorry. You and him weren't…" 

"No!" 

Ally grinned. "I didn't think so, I was just checking! I reckon he'd like to though…" 

"You reckon?" 

"Oh yeah!" 

Debbie wasn't too sure. She and Tom were mates. 

_He doesn't fancy me. Does he?_

Although it would explain why he had not got a girlfriend…   
  


"He was abducted?" Bateman asked the CID officers who sat at the table opposite him in the small visitors room. "Really?" 

The senior officer raised his eyebrows. "Yes, we want to ask you what you know about it." 

Bateman just laughed at him. "Me? What would I know stuck in this dump?" 

The senior man stood up and paced the small room, he passed his junior who moved from the small barred window to take over the questioning. 

"When was the last time you saw Mr Sharpe?" the younger, taller detective asked. 

"That would be a while ago, I don't remember. Should I?" 

"Well he was at your trial." 

"So were a lot of other people. I did have other things on my mind then!" 

He knew the police were just on a fishing trip. They would have charged him if they could. 

_Wouldn't they?_

The junior cop offered him a cigarette from a gold packet, he took one. 

"Fortunately he escaped," the senior guy was still facing the barred window. "Before he came to any serious harm. Which would then make it attempted murder for anyone involved..." 

"I really don't know what you're talking about." 

"We have evidence." 

_Evidence?!_

"Really?" he asked, keeping his cool. 

_What evidence was that then?_

They could hardly connect him to anything on the outside, considering he had not been there in a while. 

The junior cop looked up at his boss who had made the comment, with an element of uncertainty. 

"We have Jimmy Varns," the DCI continued. 

"Who's he then?" 

"An acquaintance of yours, so he says." 

"Never heard of him," Bateman tried to remain cool. 

Hopefully the two detectives would believe him. Everyone would believe him if he lied for long enough. After all, it worked for Sally.. 

_And Jimmy wouldn't grass... Would he?_   


  


_London's Burning - The Sean Bateman Trials © Karen Moody 30/03/2002_


	13. Chapter Twelve

**LONDON'S BURNING FAN FIC**   
**The Sean Bateman Trials - by Kaz.**   
**CHAPTER TWELVE**

_THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE AND PLENTY OF VIOLENCE!_   


Oooh plans. Plans, plans, plans. He felt like rubbing his hands together as if he'd just come up with an evil plot to kill the good guy. Of course the good guys never got killed did they? And the bad guys always got locked up. 

_Why was that? Why couldn't a bad guy get away with it just once?_

He had thought of a better plan. Foolproof this time. Not even the thickest person on Earth could mess it up... which might have something to do with the fact that he was not going to employ the thickest person on Earth. 

He knew people who knew people. This prison thing was great for networking. There was just the problem of actually getting guys to talk to him! True there were enough guys who wanted revenge and had the means to go about it. They were the guys who understood him, well that part anyway. 

The thing with the guards wasn't personal. Apparently they did that thing with their eyes to all the cons! Were they ever happy in their work? 

He got chatting to a tattoo guy called... what was his name now? It didn't really matter. Tattoo Man knew things. Things that were worth knowing, things that could help him. 

He would wait a while for the police to chase their tails and tie themselves up in knots over something they could never prove. He learnt from his mistakes. 

This time he would chase the eye of the storm. He would take the mountain to Mohammed. He would sort it himself. Personally.   
  


A fire raged in the prison, egged on by the inmates assembled outside. Bateman grinned to himself as Tattoo Man Vickers joined him. 

"Well done man, you fucking did it," he always sounded as if he was high on drugs. 

In this place, he probably was. 

"Not yet I haven't. Just got a couple more things to take care of." 

"Good fucking luck, man." 

"Do you ever stop swearing?" 

"Fuck no." 

"Ok then," Bateman left him to go into hiding as the first appliances turned up. 

Blue Watch were on duty tonight. And it just so happened that the Blackwall appliance was one of the first to arrive on the scene. Things could not be going better. 

He watched as the crews prepared to tackle the blaze. He saw Sally was still with them. That was a good thing. He'd hoped she was still there. It made his plan a lot simpler. 

He waited until she was alone by the appliance, getting a hose line ready for a BA crew who were about to enter the building. He crept up behind her, treading carefully, his shoes making no sound as he approached the soft grass where she was standing, her back to him. 

"Hello Sally," 

She spun round wildly on hearing his voice, dropping the branch she had been holding. 

"Does Geoffrey not tell you that you really shouldn't damage the equipment," he picked the branch up from where it lay in the small patch of brown earth beneath her feet. 

"Sean," she did not know what to say to him. 

He smiled. "I'm not going to hurt you." 

"You've already done that," she pointed out. 

"I didn't mean to, you know that don't you?" 

"And you hurt Rob." 

"Hey love, that was not me," he put his hand to her face and stroked her cheek. 

"Get off me or I'll scream." 

He just smiled again. "Where you're going sweetheart, no one will hear you scream!" 

With that, he grabbed her, before she knew what was happening. He tied a shirt around her mouth, and pulled it tight, to prevent her from crying out. He then produced a gun, a leaving present from Vickers who would be escaping with him. Or that is what he had been led to believe anyway. 

Bateman had different plans. He dragged Sally away from the action, she tried to cry out but having the shirt stuffed in her mouth muffled her voice. He pressed the gun into her back. 

"You're the key," he told her. "Now I'm going to remove this," he indicated the shirt. "Any funny shit and you're a dead girl, you get me?" 

She nodded, tears swelled up in her eyes. 

"Please, not the water works. I want you to act natural," he noticed the gates opening as more fire appliances arrived. "Now come on." 

He dragged her over to the main gates and managed to hide from the authorities as Sally walked through the gates as if she was going to meet other emergency service personnel. She felt the barrel of the gun dig into her back. She did not dare to do anything other than what she had been told. Bateman had become twisted, more twisted than he was in the first place. She no longer had any trust in him. 

He had taken advantage of that. 

They escaped from the prison, unseen, as the authorities were busy trying to avoid a riot as the prisoners jeered at the fire.   
  


"They'll know I'm missing," Sally tried pointing out as Bateman dragged her to a secluded spot away from the prison. 

"And? They're not gonna find you!" 

He took her to an old building, which had once been a factory. Production had ended long since and the building had been left to rot. He dragged her down to the basement, its sound proof walls were more than suitable for what he had in mind. 

"What's happened to you?" she asked as he tied her to a chair, bounding her hands with a leather belt. 

"You told lies about me." 

"I told the truth." 

He finished tying her up, she tried to wriggle free but the bounds rubbed painfully against her wrist. 

"You know if you keep doing that, the belt will cut into your wrist," Bateman pointed out. "Suicide is a crime you know." 

"Just let me go." 

He laughed, a loud laugh, which bounced off the walls unable to escape from the large, dark room. 

"I don't think so." 

He started to take her clothes off. There was nothing she could do and a strange feeling of déjà vu washed over her. 

"Please no…" 

"Oh shut up!" 

He stopped stripping her when he reached her bra and replaced the shirt gag. 

"Now look what you've made me do. I want you to stop the lies Sally. Only you can do that. Tell them what really happened." 

She was crying now. 

_Why is he doing this to me? Why?_

"Tell them we are in love," Bateman continued to live in his fantasy world. "Joe was a tosser. He didn't love you, you must have seen that. He loved himself. I love you. I love your body, I love your hair. I love everything about you. But you wouldn't give us a chance." 

He took her cheek in his hand, she tried to shake him off, but he grabbed her and forced her to look at him. 

"All I ask is that you let me have show you my passion," he wiped the tears from her eyes. "There's no need to be afraid." 

He helped her to stand up from the chair. She took her chance this time, and kicked him. He doubled over in pain, and she saw her chance to escape. 

"Not so fast," he recovered quickly and grabbed her, pulling her down to the floor. 

She cried out as they both hit the hard surface. 

"Where are you going, we haven't finished yet. You really shouldn't have done that," he warned. 

He slapped her across the face, once on each cheek. Blood trickled down her face. He pushed her down harder onto the cold stone floor. The blood mixed with tears as she curled herself into a ball, in an attempt to protect her body from his invasion. 

Her plan failed. Not that it had been much of a plan. He was on top of her again, this time removing her fireproof leggings. 

"You have the body of a temple," he told her. 

She wondered if she could kick him again. He sat on her legs, almost crushing them. Her arms were numb behind her back as she lay on the floor. There was nothing she could do. No one knew where she was, there was no one who could save her now. 

He removed her bra and marvelled at her natural beauty. He kissed her breasts. She felt him move down her body, lower and lower. His hands roamed everywhere. Then suddenly, he jumped up. 

"Can't you even pretend to enjoy it?" he looked down at the cowering naked woman below him. 

She tried to back away from him, scrawling across the floor. 

"I guess not," he took down his pants and launched his attack on her once more.   


  


_London's Burning - The Sean Bateman Trials © Karen Moody 30/03/2002_


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**LONDON'S BURNING FAN FIC**   
**The Sean Bateman Trials - by Kaz.**   
**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

Blue Watch continued to tackle the prison fire. Hi-Ho tried turning the hose on and was surprised when no jet of water rushed out. He frowned. 

"Where's the water?" he yelled. 

Hyper went to turn the pump on. "Water on," he yelled back. 

He wondered where Sally had got to, since she had been sent to turn the water on. He looked around the scene but could not see her. Maybe she had been assigned to another task. 

"Rob," Pearce yelled at him. "Go to the gate and let Charlton know the situation." 

"Ok Geoff," Hyper called and made his way over to the main prison gate where Charlton were just arriving. 

He briefed their Watch Commander about the fire, which was still being cheered on by the rowdy prisoners. 

"I thought you had already sent one of your lot down here, " the prison officer on duty at the gate commented to Hyper. 

"What?" Hyper was confused. 

"Young chick," the guard explained. "She went out of the gate, said she had to check to see if back up crews were on the way or something. Had a bloke with her, I think, didn't get much of a look at him though… I assumed he was one of you guys…" 

"Hold on," Hyper stopped him. "What did this bloke look like?" 

"Um…" the guard paused. "I dunno mate, as I said I didn't get much of a look." 

Hyper paused. "Oh my God… Sally…" he raced over to Geoff. 

"Geoff…" he panted fearfully. "Where's Sally?" 

"I sent her to sort a branch out," Pearce replied, he looked around. "Where has she got to?" 

"Bateman." Hyper knew.   
  


"Look, Tom, it's really sweet that you care so much…" 

"Is this the bit where you tell me you're gay? Cos you don't have a boyfriend. Or the part where you're not looking for a relationship…" 

"Tom…" she stopped him rambling. "Ever since… you know… I just can't…" 

"Debbie, I care about you…" 

"I know." 

"Then please, I just want…" 

"Want what?" 

"To…" 

"Tom?" 

She was looking straight at him, her heart raced, she was sure his did too. She did not know if she was able to let herself go. 

"To…" he moved to kiss her but pulled away quickly as Ally entered the CID office. 

"What's this overtime? Or undertime…" she checked her watch. 

"No Sarge!" they both replied in unison. 

"We were…" Tom started. 

"Finishing…" Debbie continued. 

"Reports." Tom added. 

Ally grinned. "Did you two practise that?!" 

They frowned. 

She just laughed at them. "You two crack me up! Who's for coffee?" 

"I thought you didn't drink that," Tom started. 

"I didn't. I seem to have this incredible urge lately…" Ally took hold of the kettle and checked the amount of water inside. 

"You mean a craving?" Tom grinned. 

"Shut up Tom. Do you want one or not?" 

"Black." 

"Eye?" 

"Just coffee." 

"Debs?" Ally turned to her. 

"No thanks." 

Ally shrugged and flipped the kettle switch to the on position. 

"By the way," she continued. "If you two wanna get off I recommend the Superintendents office! When he isn't in, obviously. I think it would be a bit tricky if he was sat at his desk!" 

Debbie and Tom glanced uneasily at each other. Ally had her back to them as she gazed out of the third floor window, waiting for the kettle to boil. 

"But then," Ally continued dreamily. "I don't suppose he'd notice much!" 

The kettle clicked, she dropped some coffee granules into two cups then poured water over them. 

"You can stir it yourself," she dropped a teaspoon in one of the mugs before handing it to Tom. 

"I thought that was your speciality, Sarge!" he grinned. 

"On a good day, probably," Ally looked at her own coffee with an element of distaste. "I don't think I want that now…" 

Tom was grinning, but Debbie looked concerned. 

"You ok, Sarge?" she asked. 

"I'll be fine." 

"In about nine months!" Tom added. 

"Do you want a slap?" Ally offered, jokingly. 

"Um… can I phone a friend?" 

"Why, does he want a slap as well?!" Ally poured her still hot cup of coffee down the sink. "By the way," she warned. "Watch out for Scottie, you know what he's like about sexual liaisons in the workplace!" she winked at them before leaving the office again. 

"Do you reckon she's up the duff?" Tom commented. 

"I dunno do I?" Debbie replied. "It's none of our business if she is or not." 

"Anyway," Tom decided to change the subject. "Her coffee sucks!" 

"It's not every day your sergeant makes you a coffee!" Debbie pointed out. "You should be grateful!" 

He was over at the kettle area again trying to make his drink more appetising. They both seemed to have forgotten about their amorous moment. Debbie was waiting for him to approach the topic again, but it did not look like he was going to. 

"Tom?" 

"Yeah? This is just disgusting…" 

"About before?" she ventured. 

"What?" he turned to look at her. "Oh, yeah, should we forget it?" 

"No, I mean that's not what I want. I think, maybe…" 

He put the cup of coffee down. "Maybe?" 

"I think we could maybe try the Super's desk out sometime…" 

"Hmmmn, I'd rather find somewhere more comfortable! You really think so?" he asked, wanting to make sure she was really ready for this. 

"Yeah. Could you just do me a favour?" she wondered. 

"Anything." 

"Just hold me," she wanted to feel safe. 

He smiled. "Come here," he held her tightly, trying to will away all her insecurities about sex and men in general.   
  


"You really think Bateman has got her?" Adam was asking as he tried to comfort his friend in the Twist. 

Hyper had stayed the night, worrying himself sick about Sally. 

_Where is she?_

"Yes," he was adamant. "It's what he wanted. I should have seen it coming…" 

"You couldn't possibly…" 

"I should have known what he was like… He wanted revenge. He's going to kill her, I know it!" 

"You can't know that!" Adam tried to point out. "What did the police say." 

"They're investigating." 

"I'm sure they'll find her, they take this sort of thing seriously." 

"So you do think she has been kidnapped?!" 

"I don't know Rob. None of us do." 

"I'm going to find her," Hyper got up. 

Adam pulled him back. "Where would you look?" 

"I don't know! The railway? The canal? The River?" 

"Now you're just being stupid." 

"I'm being practical." 

He would look everywhere if he had to. He would not stop until he found her. Alive or…. Dead… Then at least he would know. 

"Just sit down," Adam ordered as they sat in the empty pub together. "Get a drink down you." 

"It's too early." 

"Rob, listen to me…" Adam had to put his hand over Rob's to stop him from going anywhere to do anything stupid. 

Hyper looked at him. "What?" 

"Just don't do anything stupid, all right?" 

They looked at each other. Hyper pulled his hand away. 

"I'm going home, Adam, she might turn up." 

They both hoped so.   
  


"She's what?!" Debbie could not believe what DCI Greenside was telling his CID team. 

"Last night," Greenside continued, ignoring her outburst. "From the prison. We're checking with the guards on duty, but apparently no one saw him go. They had a bit of a riot on their hands at the time." 

"What's this?" Ally sneaked into the briefing late. 

"Sean Bateman's escaped from prison," Debbie explained. "And Sally Fields has gone missing." 

"Oh, that was your case wasn't it?" 

"Yeah," Debbie sighed. 

Greenside organised his team. Debbie was desperate to get involved. She blamed herself. She thought maybe if she had left things alone then none of this would have happened. 

"What do you suggest?" Ally offered her help. 

"The prison has CCTV doesn't it?" Debbie asked. "Perhaps he's on there." 

"And what help would that be in finding him?" Tom wondered. "He could be anywhere." 

"Maybe he got into a car," Debbie pointed out. "He isn't going to want to walk far is he?" 

"I guess not." 

"Is this a lovers tiff or can anyone join in?" Ally asked, trying to get into the conversation. "I think we should start at the prison. I'll tell the DCI." 

She went to clear her actions with the boss. He was not too happy about letting Debbie back on the case, but Ally pointed out they needed all the hands they could get. He reluctantly agreed to let the three of them go to the prison. 

"So," Tom started asking as they made their way out of the CID office. "What odds do you reckon for a boy?" 

"What?" Ally asked, not really paying attention to what he was saying. 

"You," he explained. "Boy or girl?" 

She glared at him. "Piss off Tom." 

Tom and Debbie exchanged glances as Ally stormed off. It was unlike her not to take the joke. They caught up with her in the car. She was sat in the drivers seat, her arms resting on the steering wheel as she stared out of the front windscreen. 

Debbie got into the passenger seat while Tom climbed into the back of the car. Ally wiped her eyes. 

"There isn't going to be a boy… or girl… Tom," she started. "I…" 

Debbie put a hand on her friends shoulder. 

"There's a high chance…" Ally started. "…. That I'm going to miscarry…" she looked straight at Debbie. "It's happened before and I just know it's going to happen again…" 

"Ally…I'm sorry…" 

Ally wiped her eyes again and threw her head back. "Are we going to this prison or not?"   
  


Sally had been missing for two days now. Hyper paced the flat as he usually did every morning, waiting for someone to phone with any news. He was waiting for the police to call to tell him they had found her body. He wanted them to tell him anything, then at least he would know. 

He could not eat, he could not sleep, and he could not work. He worried about his friend. The only person he had ever felt able to confide in was somewhere at the mercy of a lunatic. She had been taken from right under his nose. How could he not have noticed? 

_How could I have missed that?_

The phone rang. He dived for it.   


  


_London's Burning - The Sean Bateman Trials © Karen Moody 31/03/2002_


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**LONDON'S BURNING FAN FIC**   
**The Sean Bateman Trials - by Kaz.**   
**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

_THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE AND PLENTY OF VIOLENCE!_   


"Well, well…" the Custody Sergeant started as a prisoner was brought into the police station, by six officers who struggled to keep the large man under control. "Harry Vickers, to what do we owe this pleasure?" 

"Fuck you." 

"You do know that anything you say will be used in evidence against you?" the Custody Sergeant was grinning. 

"Get the fuck off me," Vickers tried to free himself from his constraints. 

"Stick him in Number Three," the Custody Sergeant told his officers. "We can wait until he calms down!"   
  


"He must be around here somewhere…" Debbie was studying a map of the area around the prison. "He can't have got far." 

"It's been three days…" Tom pointed out. "If I were him, I wouldn't hang around!" 

"But you're not him," Debbie reminded Tom. "Fortunately!" 

"Tom," Ally entered the CID office where Debbie and Tom were working on the abduction case. "Harry Vickers has been brought in, we're gonna interview him." 

They left Debbie to figure out where Bateman could be as they went to find out how Vickers had been able to escape from prison. They had already spoken to Jimmy Varns, who was about as useful as a chocolate fireguard. He had been completely stoned, which was nothing unusual. He had not given them anything useful to go on and since he had only been arrested for causing an affray, they had to let him go. 

"Is this a good idea Sarge?" Tom asked, concerned as Vickers still had not calmed down as three officers had to drag him to the interview room. 

"He'll be fine, won't you Harry?" Ally had interviewed the prisoner before. 

"Screw you, bitch." 

Ally paid no attention to him. She had been the one to arrest him for attacking a schoolgirl. Fortunately he had not managed to get very far as he had been interrupted. 

They sat in the interview room. Tom conducted the procedural tasks of cautioning Vickers and setting up the video recorder, which would record everything that happened in the interview. 

"So," Ally started. "Did you not like prison?!" 

Vickers refused to talk to her, with the exception of the insults and foul language he kept coming out with. 

"We want to ask you about Sean Bateman," Tom started. 

"Oh that tosser, well why the fuck didn't you say so dude?" Vickers grinned, his wide evil grin. "This was all his idea you know! He wanted to escape so he could fuck some chick or summat, I was just along for the ride, ya get me meanin?!" 

"Where did he go?" Ally ventured. 

"Well he didn't go up your arse did he darlin'?!" 

"Just answer the question, Mr Vickers." 

He was silent again.   
  


"Sarge?" Debbie had entered the Custody area. "Have you seen Tom?" 

"Yeah, he's interviewing a prisoner, with Al… uh what do you call her these days?!" the Custody Sergeant asked after Ally. 

"Daft cow usually. Are they interviewing Vickers?" 

"Yeah, nasty piece of work!" the Custody Sergeant replied. "That's why I'm standing here, in case they need a bit of assistance!" 

"You really think they will?" Debbie asked, concerned for her friends' safety. 

The Custody Sergeant shrugged. "Who knows. I reckon Vickers could squash a ten tonne truck if he put his mind to it!"   
  


"How the fuck should I know where he is?!" Vickers demanded. "We were supposed to get out together and he fuckin' got off!" 

"Then it isn't right that you're sat here and he isn't," Ally pointed out. 

Vickers glared at her. She could see how much he despised her and women in general. He leaned forward. 

"I ain't tellin you shit." 

"Come on, Harry." 

"And don't call me that. I don't want to hear you say that again!" Vickers stood up. 

"Sit down Mr Vickers," Tom ordered him. 

"Come on, Harry…" 

Vickers reached over the table and made a grab for her.   
  


"Have you got any leads yet?" the Custody Sergeant was asking Debbie. 

"Nah, well maybe. I think he's still somewhere around the prison," Debbie confided. "There are a lot of empty buildings around there. I want to check them out, hopefully…" 

She was cut off as the panic button sounded. 

Several male officers rushed into the interview room where Tom and Ally had taken Vickers. They managed to restrain Vickers and hauled him out of the room. Debbie went in to find Ally on the floor, after being thrown against the wall. 

"Ally?" 

Ally was crying. "Debbie… I…" 

There was blood on her hands.   
  


"Tom," Ally was glad to see him as she waited in the hospital emergency department. 

"Hi," he smiled quickly. "How are you?" 

"I'll be fine, I think." 

"Good. Where did Debbie go?" 

"She said she had something urgent to do," Ally replied. "I think she's gone to look for Bateman." 

Tom sighed. 

"Go after her Tom," Ally urged. 

"What about you?" 

"Paul's on his way over." 

"Oh. Did you tell him about…?" 

Ally shook her head. "It's gone… There's nothing to tell him. I would appreciate it if you and Debbie keep it to yourselves." 

"Yeah," he was not too keen on the bargain, but decided to keep her secret. "I suppose I should go and find Debbie." 

"Tom?" 

He looked back. 

"Be careful," Ally warned. 

"Don't worry," Tom tried to assure her. "I'll make sure she doesn't do anything stupid." 

He left the hospital.   
  


"This is my escape plan," Bateman produced the gun from his pocket. 

He was fully clothed now and had allowed her only to wear her jacket. She was cold, he saw that but liked to see her suffer. 

She was still gagged, he said he preferred her when she was silent. Also she could not bite him, or do anything else horrible with those little fangs of hers. Or the little poisonous tongue that had spread so many lies. 

He toyed with the gun. 

"I've never used one before," he confided. "But you pick up a lot of interesting things in prison. You would know all about that," he teased. 

He took the gun and threw his mobile phone at her. 

"You'll need that, should you ever escape! I'm sure you will as you're a very resourceful girl, Sally. I've decided on the perfect way to make you pay for what you have done to me, for what you have made me become." 

He was an animal. She could not say anything, her gag prevented her from moving her dry lips. 

He pointed the gun at her, then seeing the fear in her eyes, he laughed and moved it anyway. 

"Stay where you are…" another voice had joined them. 

"Oh it's you, come to join the party have you?" Bateman sneered as he saw Debbie had entered the room. 

"Just put the gun down," she told him. 

"Why don't you come here and make me?" he challenged. 

She ignored him and stepped over to where Sally was curled up on the floor. 

"You ok?" she asked, concerned. 

Sally nodded, unable to speak. 

Debbie took her jack off and placed it around Sally's shoulders for some extra warmth. She turned back to Bateman. 

"They'll be down here soon," she told him. "Armed police, everyone." 

"Yeah right," it did not seem to bother him. "We'll see." 

He marched over to her and pushed her away from Sally. She managed to grab his arm, the one holding the gun. 

"Debbie!" Tom had found them struggling. 

He went to help his colleague. 

The gun went off. 

_London's Burning - The Sean Bateman Trials © Karen Moody 01/04/2002_


	16. Epilogue

**LONDON'S BURNING FAN FIC**   
**The Sean Bateman Trials - by Kaz.**   
**EPILOGUE**

"Sally?" Hyper was overwhelmed to see her in the hospital.   
He had been waiting for this news. Phone calls from stupid sales people had not made things any easier. 

_No I don't want bloody windows and doors. I have more important things to worry about._

"Rob!" She hugged him, equally overjoyed to see him. 

"What…. Why…How…" he had so many questions. 

"Do we have to talk about it?" 

"No of course not," he refused to let go of her. "Anytime you like." 

"What about what he did to you?" 

"He didn't get the chance, or rather his goons didn't. If he had been there, it might have been a different story. At least he's in the best place for him now." 

"Yeah," she hugged her friend, feeling safe for the first time in ages.   
  


"I am trying to keep this out of the papers, John," DO Griggs was telling John Coleman. "You know what the press are like, and I don't want anyone speaking to them." 

"I can't speak for everyone," Coleman pointed out. 

"Sean Bateman is dead and Firefighter Fields is in hospital, two police officers risked their lives…This is a major PR disaster!" Griggs exclaimed. 

"Is that all you're worried about?" Coleman asked, annoyed with the DO's priorities. 

"Aren't you?" 

"No! I think Sally and Rob's welfare should come first." 

"Well yes… but this could do so much damage to the Brigade." 

"Bugger the Brigade." 

"I beg your pardon?!" 

Coleman could not believe what he had just come out with, but decided that it felt good to talk to Griggs in this fashion. A fashion neither of them was accustomed to. 

"I said bugger the Brigade. You know I might talk to the press, I'm sure they'd be very interested to hear the Brigade's morals!" 

"You do and that's your job gone," Griggs threatened. 

"Oh really? What makes you think I want to work for a bunch of heartless arseholes?" 

He knew he had overstepped the mark, but strangely enough he was enjoying it. 

"Now we're getting down to it, tell me what you really think Granddad!" 

"I think you don't know your arse from your elbow. You got two people killed, you took the word of a twisted pervert, and you're nothing but a jumped up little yuppie boy. Were you spoilt as a child?!" 

"You are definitely going on report now. You'll be sacked for this! I could sue you for slander…" 

"Really, well I just want to leave you with something…" 

Coleman took an uncharacteristic swing at Griggs and caught him full in the face. The younger man was knocked off balance and fell to the ground. Coleman stepped over the unconscious body, shaking the pain from his knuckles. 

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do that for!" he told Griggs before leaving the scene. 

From a distance, Hyper saw what his boss had just done. He grinned to himself.   


_The End_

_London's Burning - The Sean Bateman Trials © Karen Moody 01/04/2002_


End file.
